Cardinals @ Mariners

Who will WIN this matchup?

St. Louis Cardinals (41-41)

@ Seattle Mariners (37-51)

Starting Pitchers:

Flaherty (STL): 4-5; 4.75 ERA

Carasiti (SEA) 0-0; 0.00 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

St. Louis Cardinals: 4-6

Seattle Mariners: 5-5

Current odds:

St. Louis Cardinals: (-140)

Seattle Mariners: (+130)

• The St. Louis Cardinals have put a season-worst five-game losing streak in the rearview mirror and hope to win a second straight contest when they open a three-game set against the host Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. St. Louis was outscored 30-10 during its skid before posting a 5-3, 11-inning win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. The Cardinals are 1-2 on a nine-game western swing that concludes with three games in San Francisco against the Giants. Paul Goldschmidt’s sluggish bat hasn’t helped matters as he went 2-for-24 over his final six games of June to finish the month with a .181 average and just three homers along with five RBIs.

• Seattle has dropped four straight games and is just 24-49 since opening the season with a surprising 13-2 stretch. The Mariners have been outscored 18-9 during their latest slide with five of the runs coming in one game.

• Flaherty allowed a season-worst seven runs over 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Oakland Athletics on June 25 and three of the nine hits he allowed were homers. The 23-year-old is winless in his past seven starts, serving up 10 homers during the stretch, and has pitched fewer than six innings in four of the outings. Flaherty, who will be facing Seattle for the first time, is 1-2 with a 6.68 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in seven road turns this season.

• Carasiti will be utilized as the “opener” for the third time in four appearances since his recent recall before handing the ball over to Wade LeBlanc. Carasiti hasn’t allowed a run since joining the club, while the left-handed LeBlanc (5-2, 5.27) has experienced success coming in as the second pitcher and has allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five appearances. The 34-year-old LeBlanc is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA in 10 career appearances (two starts) against the Cardinals.

• Mariners 2B Dee Gordon (quadriceps) expects to return Tuesday after missing one contest.

• St. Louis C Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer to win Sunday’s game, and it was his first hit in 20 at-bats against left-handers this season.

• Seattle SS J.P. Crawford is 16-for-39 with two homers, two triples, two doubles and 12 RBIs over the past nine contests.