New York @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2014 ) St. Louis 1, NY Mets 4

The St. Louis Cardinals' pitching staff has turned in a string of spectacular performances but will turn to a young right-hander as a stop-gap solution when they continue a 10-game homestand against the New York Mets on Monday. Reliever Carlos Martinez will fill in for ailing ace Adam Wainwright as the Cardinals seek their seventh win in eight games. Matt Adams returned from the disabled list with a bang, homering in all three games in a sweep of Washington.

New York won two of three from San Diego over the weekend but is only 3-9 in its last 12 games and is in the midst of playing 18 of 24 contests away from home. Captain David Wright is battling through a nightmarish slump, going 2-for-39 - both singles - with one RBI in over the last 12 games to drop his batting average more than 30 points to .262. The Mets won three of four at home versus St. Louis in April, but the teams combined for a mere 15 runs in the series.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, SNY (New York), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (0-3, 3.44 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (0-3, 4.67)

DeGrom remains in search of his first major-league victory as he prepares to make his seventh career start since he was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas in mid-May. He endured some hard luck in his first four starts, pitching at least six innings in each and permitting a combined seven runs. The soon-to-be 26-year-old has regressed in his last two outings, giving up seven runs and 14 hits in 10 2/3 innings.

The 22-year-old Martinez will make his second career start and first since Aug. 8, when he was knocked around for four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of St. Louis' top prospects at the Double-A and Triple-A but that success hasn't translated to the major-league level. Martinez was 2-1 with a 5.08 ERA in 21 appearances in 2013 and has blown all five saves chances this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals LF Matt Holliday needs one RBI to reach 1,000 for his career.

2. Mets RF Curtis Granderson, who returned from a calf strain Sunday, is 7-for-14 with three homers in his last six games.

3. During St. Louis' 6-1 stretch, its pitching staff allowed a total of three runs in the six victories.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Mets 4