St. Louis @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 22, 2013 ) St. Louis 3, Washington 2

Ross Detwiler has pitched as well as anybody in the National League this season, even if he has only one victory to show for it. The left-hander takes the mound Tuesday as his Washington Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals in the second of a three-game set. Detwiler is tied with Boston’s Clay Buchholz for the major-league lead in ERA. His opposition will be St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright, who has won three starts in a row and has not walked a batter in 29 innings.

Both bullpens are also in focus. The Nationals get closer Rafael Soriano back after he missed Monday’s game due to the birth of his son. Former closer Drew Storen, who relinquished a ninth-inning lead to St. Louis in Game 5 of last year’s National League Division Series, pitched a scoreless ninth Monday. The Cardinals’ bullpen has been a mess without injured closer Jason Motte. Edward Mujica provided some stability, earning his second save of the season and the sixth of his career in the first game of the series.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Fox Sports Midwest (St. Louis), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (3-1, 2.48 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Ross Detwiler (1-0, 0.90).

Wainwright had a shaky first outing in a loss at Arizona, but has been outstanding in his past three appearances. The right-hander has lowered his ERA from 4.50 to 2.48, using pinpoint control to strike out 22 batters in the last 23 innings. Wainwright was rocked for seven earned runs and 13 hits in two appearances against the Nationals in last year’s NLDS.

For all the attention garnered by his rotation counterparts, Detwiler has been the best Nationals starter so far in 2013. The 27-year-old got his first victory of the season Wednesday at Miami, allowing one run over seven innings while striking out five and walking no one. He gave up just one earned run in 13 innings in a pair of no-decisions against Cincinnati and Atlanta. Detwiler allowed one unearned run on three hits in six innings in last season’s NLDS.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Nationals have lost four in a row at home and seven out of 10 overall. Washington, which went 50-31 at home last season, is 6-4 at Nationals Park in 2013.

2. St. Louis 1B Matt Adams was scratched from Monday’s lineup with right side soreness. Adams is hitting .542 with three homers in 24 at-bats.

3. Washington rookie 3B Anthony Rendon, the Nationals’ top-ranked prospect, doubled home a run in the fourth inning Monday for his first major-league hit.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Nationals 1