For the first time all season, the vibes are good in Boston. The Red Sox muscled past a very good Milwaukee Brewers team at home, winning two of three to break out of their early season funk. Now, they get the pleasure of a road trip against a pair of rebuilding squads: the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins.
First up on that slate is old friend Chaim Bloom's new team, the Redbirds. They're off to a better-than-expected 7-5 start, though they banked a majority of those wings against middling teams (the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays). They're well and truly in a rebuilding period, hence why they traded a pair of their best players to the Red Sox over the offseason.
But for anyone expecting this to be an easy series, think again. In order to stretch their win streak to three, the Sox will need to overcome a ghost of their recent past: Dustin May.
Can't imagine how intense the emotions are gonna be tomorrow for Red Sox fans when they see Dustin May in a Cardinals uniform. Just won't feel right. #Sox4Life
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) April 9, 2026
Red Sox primed to stretch win streak to three against old friend Dustin May
In all seriousness, this series will serve as an emotional return to the Gateway City for Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, who spent a combined five seasons playing for the Cardinals. Gray won't take the mound in St. Louis after dominating the rubber match against the Brewers, but the fans will likely greet him warmly all the same.
The May revenge tour, meanwhile, has yet to fully take off. In truth, it's hardly even gotten moving. He's been shellacked through two starts, surrendering a 15.95 ERA and 6.45 FIP while failing to record more than 12 outs in either outing. The Red Sox finally began working their way out of the mud against the Brewers by working more competitive at-bats, but facing May appears to be the cure-all to any ailing offense.
That's not a terribly surprising development, considering how poorly the right-hander's time in Boston went (5.40 ERA in six appearances). Like that disappointing tenure, he currently ranks among the league's worst pitchers in limiting hard contact, inducing whiffs, and generating ground balls.
Will May find a way to turn back the clock and get revenge on the Red Sox for letting him go after just half of a season? Probably not, but that's the sort of karmic vengeance this team seems ripe for after ripping off two consecutive victories.
Assuming they can, the Sox would be wise to jump all over May and get to the Cardinals' bullpen early in the series, seeing as they'll face more competent starters (Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante) later on. And though beating up on him won't change the fact that the original May trade is aging like spoiled milk, it would at least bring the fanbase a bit of closure.