After an ugly series with the Nationals that ended in a sweep to close out April and kick off May, the St. Louis Cardinals righted the ship against the upstart Philadelphia Phillies, taking three of four in the series.
Now the Cardinals seem to have some positive momentum going into their first home series with the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates.
The weekend series provides an opportunity for each team to make a statement as the NL Central race begins to take shape.
For the Pirates, a series win or possible sweep would send a pretty clear message that the power swing in the division is in full swing, as the Pirates would have taken at least five of their first six contests with St.