Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

ST. LOUIS — This series could be like two ships passing in the night.
The Cincinnati Reds have been playing their best baseball of the season coming into July while the St. Louis Cardinals have been spinning their wheels.
Entering Friday’s first game of a three-game series, the Cardinals are now 47-44 after splitting their 10 games in July. The Reds are 6-4 this month and have improved to 41-52 on the season.
Cincinnati is 21-15 since June 1 and 16-7 over the past 23 games. The Reds will need the momentum since they have lost nine of 10 games this season to St. Louis.
While the Reds have been on the upswing, so has starting pitcher Matt Harvey (4-5, 4.80 ERA).
After a no-decision in his last outing when he work 5.2 innings and allowed three runs — two earned — one nine hits against the Cubs in Chicago on Saturday, the Reds’ righthander has won three times in his last four outings.
Harvey isn’t the only Reds’ player who has been playing well. Shortstop Jose Peraza is 6-for-22 on the current road trip for but is hitting .309 on the current road trip.
Outfielder Jesse Winker is 9-for-26 against the Cardinals this season for a .346 average. Second baseman Scooter Gennett — who leads the National League with a .326 batting average — is 12-for-42 against the Cardinals this season with seven RBIs.
The Cardinals will counter with Carlos Martinez (6-4, 3.05 ERA) who is coming off his best started since being activated from the disabled list on June 5.
Martinez has a 2.70 ERA, 23 strikeouts and 14 walks in three starts against the Reds this season.
Cincinnati third baseman Eugenio Suarez is 6-for-17 and Adam Duvall 5-for-15 against Martinez this season.
For the Cardinals, shortstop Paul DeJong has scored eight times during his seven-game hitting streak.
The first pitch is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Friday. The game airs on WIRO-AM 1230 and 800 radio as well as Fox Sports Ohio.
Sunday’s game will mark the end of the first half of the season as Major League Baseball takes a four-day break for the All-Star Game scheduled Tuesday in Washington, D.C.