Wilyer Abreu (2 for 4) led the Red Sox again, posting his seventh multi-hit effort in the first 13 games. Trevor Story’s steal of home was another highlight of the night, which also included a 1 for 6 showing with runners in scoring position.
“We had our chances, but we’ve got to be better offensively,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
First baseman Willson Contreras had a tough night in his return to St. Louis, where he was a .261 hitter with 55 home runs across the last three seasons before being traded to Boston last December. He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
“I think I did my best here for them, for the team and for the fans,” Contreras said, reflecting on his time with the Cardinals. “I played, like somebody said, my (butt) off. Every day that I came here, I gave 100 percent. I did my best for them.”
Ranger Suarez (0-1, 8.64 ERA) will look to better his first two outings with the Red Sox when he takes the mound in the Gateway City. The southpaw is coming off a Sunday no-decision in an 8-6 loss to the San Diego Padres in which he gave up four runs over four innings.
Can the Red Sox get back to winning ways? Here’s the preview.
RED SOX (4-9): Anthony DH, Durbin 3B, Duran LF, Contreras 1B, Abreu RF, Story SS, Mayer 2B, Narváez C, Rafaela CF
Pitching: LHP Ranger Suarez (0-1, 8.64 ERA)
CARDINALS (8-5): Wetherholt 2B, Herrera DH, Walker RF, Gorman 3B, Urias 1B, Fermin LF, Saggese SS, Pages C, Scott II CF
Pitching: RHP Kyle Leahy (1-1, 5.40 ERA)
Time: 7:15 p.m.
TV, radio: Fox, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Leahy: Caleb Durbin 2-3, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 0-2, Andruw Monasterio 1-1, Trevor Story 0-1
Cardinals vs. Suarez: Alec Burleson 0-1, José Fermín 0-1, Iván Herrera 0-1, Ramón Urías 1-3, Jordan Walker 1-3, Masyn Winn 1-3
Stat of the day: Ranger Suarez is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two career starts against St. Louis.
Notes: Kyle Leahy, who earned his first win as a full-time member of the Cardinals’ rotation last Sunday, will take the mound … Across his first three seasons as a Cardinal, the 28-year-old righthander made 97 of his 98 career appearances as a reliever. He pitched in a career-high 62 games in 2025 … Friday’s win was the season-high third in a row for St. Louis, which is off to a solid 8-5 start after finishing fourth in the National League Central last season … Jordan Walker extended his hitting streak to six games. The 23-year-old had homered in his previous three games and four of five before Friday.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.
