Cardinals Begin 9-Game Road Trip Against Nationals

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The St. Louis Cardinals, currently holding a 19-19 record, are set to kick off a challenging nine-game road trip starting against the Washington Nationals on Friday evening at 6:45 p.m. ET. This trip includes stops in Philadelphia and Kansas City and follows a successful home series where the Cardinals won five of six games against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Nationals, holding a 17-21 record, are coming off a nine-game road trip that saw them finish with four wins and five losses. The young team has shown gradual improvements, fueled by emerging talents like CJ Abrams and James Wood.

Nationals Park, where this series will unfold, is known to favor offensive play but notably suppresses strikeouts more than Busch Stadium does. This might play into the Cardinals’ strengths, given their singles-heavy offensive approach. Additionally, the Cardinals’ pitching staff is not particularly reliant on strikeouts, except for Sonny Gray, who won’t be pitching during this series.

The matchup on Friday features Cardinals’ left-hander Erick Fedde against Nationals’ lefty Mitchell Parker. Fedde, who has a 4.78 ERA this season, has been consistent in his last starts, though he’s looking to regain peak form. Parker, on the other hand, has experienced difficulties recently, allowing eleven earned runs in his last two outings.

Saturday’s game will see right-hander Trevor Williams, with a 5.86 ERA, take the mound for Washington against St. Louis right-hander Dakota Pallante. Williams has struggled for consistency, while Pallante aims to recover from a rocky previous start.

The series wraps up on Sunday with one of Washington’s standout pitchers, MacKenzie Gore (3.33 ERA), squaring off against Miles Mikolas (4.76 ERA) of St. Louis. Gore has impressed with a high strikeout rate, solidifying his status as a future ace for the Nationals.

With both teams striving to improve their standings—Washington currently sits fourth in the NL East and St. Louis third in the NL Central—the upcoming series promises to be pivotal. Fans are eager to see if the Nationals can bounce back and if the Cardinals’ recent momentum will continue.