Cardinals vs Royals Preview: Young arms duel on Saturday

The Royals dominated the first game of this series. Kansas City beat the Cardinals 14-6 on Wednesday. The damage happened fast—the Royals scored seven runs in just the second inning. Bobby Witt Jr. blasted a home run early. Then the hits kept coming. Jac Caglianone and Nick Loftin added power shots. The Cardinals' pitching couldn't find their rhythm. Now St. Louis comes back hungry on Saturday, trying to bounce back after losing twice in a row heading into this matchup.

Seth Lugo is back and pitching for the Royals on Saturday. The veteran right-hander took a hit to the head recently but he's ready to go. Lugo brings serious experience—he played in the 2017 World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico. This season, he's been lights-out with a 0.98 ERA and just five hits allowed. He won his last start too. The Cardinals will face one of Kansas City's best arms. Stopping Lugo won't be easy for St. Louis batters looking to bounce back.

St. Louis has a 40-33 record and is trying to climb back into playoff contention. But their pitching staff is young and still learning. Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May need to prove they can handle big moments. Michael McGreevy takes the mound Saturday and must pitch well against Kansas City. The Cardinals don't have a star ace like some teams do. They need solid starts from multiple arms to win games. Their closer, Riley O'Brien, will need run support. Can the young arms show up when it counts most?