Game 45: Red Sox at Cardinals

Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesThe Red Sox are on the road again. Three games against the St. Louis Cardinals and then three more against the Tampa Bay Rays before returning home to Fenway Park.’

Things aren’t going well in St. Louis for the second year: the team is off to an 18-25 start. The big bats of Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt? Missing in action. Catcher Willson Contreras? Hurt. The rotation? Not great.

Starter Kyle Gibson enters the night with a 3.49 and aside from giving up 7 runs in his second start of the year he’s had 6 starts with 3 runs or fewer and one start with 4 runs allowed. His FIP though, at 4.42, is right in line with his career ERA of 4.52. But…