Alec Burleson carried a three-game homer streak into the St. Louis Cardinals' game against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night, giving the matchup at Target Field an immediate edge of its own. The game was scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET on June 12.
The cardinals vs twins meeting came with two starting pitchers in place: Joe Ryan for Minnesota and Kyle Leahy for St. Louis. Ryan entered at 4-3 with a 3.07 ERA, while Leahy came in at 5-3 with a 4.42 ERA.
Burleson's run mattered because the Cardinals arrived at 37-29 and second in the NL Central, a better record than the Twins' 31-39 mark and third-place position in the AL Central. That put the focus on a St. Louis hitter in form even as the club brought the stronger overall profile into the matchup.
The game also carried a long injury list on both sides. Minnesota had Ryan Jeffers on the 10-day injured list with a hand injury, Bailey Ober, Cole Sands, Mick Abel and Kendry Rojas on the 15-day injured list, and Pablo Lopez on the 60-day injured list. St. Louis listed Garrett Acton and David Festa on the 60-day injured list, Ryan Fernandez on the 15-day injured list and Ramón Urías on the 60-day injured list.
That left the matchup defined by more than standings or a single swing. Burleson's streak was the cleanest live storyline going in, but the night still depended on whether Ryan or Leahy could control a game shaped by form, records and absences rather than by one obvious favorite.
