St. Louis @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2010 ) St. Louis 10, Pittsburgh 2
As the St. Louis Cardinals chase the division and wild card leaders and star first baseman Albert Pujols pursues the elusive Triple Crown, they can't help but enjoy seeing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opposing dugout.
The Cardinals continue a three-game series at PNC Park on Tuesday, taking on a team they have beaten six of seven times this season in a park where they've won nine of 11.
The trip to Pittsburgh couldn't come at a better time for the Cardinals, who sit 2 1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central and one game back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the wild card.
A large chunk of the Cardinals' success against the Pirates is owed to Pujols, who has hit .371 with 43 home runs and 128 RBIs in 148 career games against Pittsburgh. In Monday's 10-2 victory, Pujols went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer.
In three weeks, Pujols has turned what seemed like a down year into another MVP-worthy campaign - and one in which he has a legitimate shot at winning the Triple Crown.
The three-time MVP has hit .436 with 10 homers and 21 RBIs in his last 19 games. He leads the National League in homers (33) and RBIs (92) and at .319 sits four points behind Cincinnati's Joey Votto in the race for the batting title.
Pujols' next home run will be his 400th, and there's a decent chance it could come on Tuesday against Pittsburgh starter Paul Maholm. Pujols is 16-for-27 (.593) with a homer and four doubles against the 28-year-old left-hander.
In his one start against the Cardinals this season, Maholm (7-12, 4.92 ERA) was shelled for six runs - four earned - in 3 1/3 innings in an 11-4 victory on May 9.
The highlight of his season came in a three-hit shutout against the Houston Astros on July 18. In his next six starts, Maholm is 1-5 with an 8.07 ERA.
To end that streak, Maholm will have to outduel one of the National League's best pitchers on Tuesday as Adam Wainwright (17-7, 2.06 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis trying to become the first 18-game winner in the majors.
The 28-year-old right-hander has posted quality starts in nine of his last 10 outings and is 3-1 with a 1.20 ERA in four starts this month.
One of those wins came against the Pirates, who he has beaten both times he faced them this season. Wainwright held Pittsburgh to two runs over six innings on May 9 in Pittsburgh and allowed only one run over seven innings in a 9-1 win on Aug. 1.
Wainwright is 7-2 with a 4.73 ERA in 16 appearances (12 starts) against Pittsburgh, and he has won all four decisions against the Pirates over the past two seasons.
Garrett Jones (5-for-12) and Andrew McCutchen (5-for-11) have had success against Wainwright. Jones' 18th homer of the season accounted for all of Pittsburgh's offense in the series opener.