Pittsburgh @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 17, 2013 ) St. Louis 0, Pittsburgh 5

Following a successful road trip, the St. Louis Cardinals return home for their first game at Busch Stadium in 12 days when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. The Cardinals finished a nine-game trip with a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals, allowing just four runs in the process. St. Louis jumped on Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg for a pair of early runs and Jaime Garcia allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 4-2 triumph.

The surge has the Cardinals atop the National League Central, but right on their heels is Pittsburgh, which has won six of its last seven and has done plenty of damage against several teams expected to contend in 2013. The Pirates went 7-2 on a homestand against Cincinnati, St. Louis and Atlanta, and took three of four at Philadelphia, capped by Thursday's 6-4 comeback win. Pittsburgh showed lots of late fight in the series win, scoring 10 of its 14 runs in the three victories from the seventh inning on.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), Fox Sports Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Jonathan Sanchez (0-2, 11.12 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (3-0, 3.68)

Sanchez's days in the rotation appear numbered unless he can produce some sort of magical turnaround. He is essentially holding a spot for one of several injured starters who are close to returning, or for pitching prospect Gerrit Cole. Sanchez gave up two runs on four hits and three walks in three innings against Atlanta on Sunday. He did strike out five and has fanned 11 in 11 1/3 innings. Sanchez is 3-0 against the Cardinals and 2-0 with a 2.61 mark in two starts at Busch Stadium, but those starts came in years when Sanchez was much more effective.

If there was any concern surrounding Lynn after his first start of the season, it is long gone. He is 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his last three outings, striking out 22 in 18 innings. However, the Pirates did some damage against Lynn during that run when they reached him for four runs in five innings in a 10-6 Cardinals win on April 15. The 25-year-old right-hander is 3-1 with a 4.88 ERA in seven games (five starts) against Pittsburgh. Lynn has held opponents to a .206 average and recorded 112 strikeouts in 98 career innings at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez is 9-for-24 with four home runs in his last seven games. Prior to that he was 4-for-45 with no extra-base hits.

2. St. Louis has played six home games, fewest in the National League.

3. Cardinals C Yadier Molina has a home run, a single and five walks in 13 plate appearances against Sanchez.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 7, Pirates 4