St. Louis @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( May 1, 2016 ) Washington 6, St. Louis 1

The St. Louis Cardinals have scored the most runs in the National League but they need to straighten out their pitching staff entering a four-game series beginning Thursday at the Washington Nationals. Mike Leake looks to win his fourth consecutive start for the Cardinals, who will attempt to avenge a three-game sweep at home almost a month ago.

After winning the opener of a three-game series versus the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis' pitching was battered for 21 runs in dropping the final two games. First baseman Matt Adams was 6-for-9 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs and Randal Grichuk was 6-for-13 with a pair of homers and four RBIs against the Cubs. Washington, which outscored the Cardinals 17-6 in St. Louis, lost two of three to the New York Mets to slice its lead atop the National League East to a half-game. Nationals slugger Bryce Harper was hitless in 11 at-bats versus the Cardinals and is 4-for-31 over his last 11 games overall.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Mike Leake (3-3, 4.07 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Joe Ross (3-4, 2.70)

Following a rocky start to the campaign, offseason free-agent acquisition Leake is finally paying dividends for St. Louis, blanking Arizona on four hits over seven innings on Saturday to win his third consecutive start. The 28-year-old has pitched superbly during the winning streak, surrendering a total of two runs and 15 hits over 21 innings. He allowed five runs in seven innings against the Nationals on April 29 to fall to 3-4 with a 4.98 ERA against them.

Ross is trending in the opposite direction of Leake, losing his fourth straight start by giving up three runs (two earned) over 5 2/3 innings in a 3-2 defeat at Miami on Saturday. Washington has scored only nine runs during the four-start skid for Ross, who has yielded a homer in each of his last three turns and is winless since beating St. Louis on April 30. Ross held the Cardinals to one run on six hits on April 30 to improve to 3-0.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals LF Matt Holliday, a career .328 hitter versus Washington, halted a 10-game homerless drought with a three-run blast Wednesday.

2. Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy was 6-for-12 against the Mets to extend his hitting streak to five games.

3. Cardinals 2B Matt Carpenter left the team Wednesday to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's first child.

PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Cardinals 4