The Red Sox are struggling to keep their heads above water. The club has lost three straight, seven of its last 10 and is 5-10 in the month of May overall. Long solidly in third in the AL East, the Red Sox have fallen 1.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays and now sit fourth in the division.

Simply put, the club needs Kutter Crawford to help stop the bleeding on Saturday night.

Crawford (2-2, 2.24) will take the mound for the second game of this weekend’s three-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals, taking on St. Louis’ Miles Mikolas (3-5, 6.19). Crawford has been one of the best pitchers in baseball through the first month and a half, but while he’s thrown six innings or more in each of his last five starts, his last outing was his shakiest of the season, allowing four runs in a loss to the Rays.

Offensively the Red Sox will also give Tyler O’Neill a day off his feet, slotting the right-handed outfielder into the designated hitter spot. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu will line up in left, center and right field, respectively, and David Hamilton will start at shortstop in place of Rafaela.

Red Sox lineup

Jarren Duran LF

Wilyer Abreu RF

Connor Wong C

Rafael Devers 3B

Tyler O’Neill DH

Dominic Smith 1B

Vaughn Grissom 2B

David Hamilton SS

Ceddanne Rafaela CF

Kutter Crawford P

How to watch

When: 7:15 p.m. ET

Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

Broadcast info: NESN, WEEI 93.7 FM, WCCM 1490 AM (Spanish)