The Tigers hope some home cooking at Comerica Park will cure their early-season woes as they open a three-game weekend series against the Cardinals on Friday. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. EST, with the matchup airing on MLB.TV.

After winning their first two games of the season, Detroit (2-4) has dropped four straight, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks that featured a 1-0 loss on Wednesday. 

The offense has sputtered, hitting just .215 as a team with only one home run through six games. Infielder Colt Keith and rookie Kevin McGonigle, both batting .364, provide the rare bright spots in the lineup.

The Tigers hand the ball to prized offseason acquisition Framber Valdez (0-0, 1.50 ERA) to play stopper. The veteran left-hander was brilliant in his Detroit debut last week, allowing just one earned run over six innings with five strikeouts against San Diego. Valdez will look to reverse his historical struggles against St. Louis, holding an 0-2 record and a bloated 9.90 ERA in two career starts against the Cardinals.

St. Louis (4-2) secured back-to-back dramatic victories over the Mets before traveling to Detroit. The Cardinals’ pitching staff has been phenomenal, allowing just one total run over their last two matchups, highlighted by a 2-1, 11-inning walk-off win on Wednesday courtesy of a Masyn Winn RBI single.

Michael McGreevy (0-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis following a brilliant season debut. The right-hander tossed six hitless innings against Tampa Bay on Saturday, using a seven-pitch mix to keep hitters off balance.

Cardinals +1.5 (-139)Tigers -1.5 (+124)Cardinals +159Tigers +235Over 7.5 (-109)Under 7.5 (+102)

Note: The above data was collected on April 3, 2026, and may have changed since writing.

Cardinals vs Tigers Betting TrendsThe Cardinals are 4-2 against the spread so far this season.The Tigers are 2-4 against the spread.The Cardinals are 4-2 when playing as the underdogs.The total has gone over in six of the last nine meetings between these teams.The under has hit in eight of the last nine meetings between these teams in Detroit.The Tigers have won four of the last five games against the Cardinals.Cardinals vs Tigers Injury ReportsMatt Pushard, RP — 15-day IL (knee).Hunter Dobbins, SP — 15-day IL (knee).Lars Nootbaar, LF — 60-day IL (heels).Scott Effross, RP — Day to day (oblique).Trey Sweeney, SS — 10-day IL (shoulder).Bailey Horn, RP — 15-day IL (elbow).Sawyer Gipson-Long, RP — 15-day IL (oblique).Beau Brieske, RP — 60-day IL (groin).Jackson Jobe, SP — 60-day IL (elbow).Cardinals vs Tigers Predictions and Picks

“The Tigers got swept in Arizona and even managed to lose with Skubal on the mound, so you know they are in trouble. On the flip side, the Cardinals have won two straight, having just one earned run in both games …. On top of that, the Cardinals have been the best team against left-handed bats this season with a whopping .370 batting average, so I like them as road dogs in this spot.” — Nikos Lagouretos, Sports Chat Place

Detroit’s lineup is dormant, batting just .215 with a staggering 26.9% strikeout rate and only one home run through six games. They face McGreevy, who enters fresh off six no-hit innings in his season debut. St. Louis has relied heavily on isolated power to score runs, but they draw a tough matchup against Valdez. With cool weather, a pitcher-friendly ballpark, and two starters executing at a high level, expect runs to be at a premium.