St. Louis @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 18, 2013 ) LA Dodgers 0, St. Louis 9

Adam Wainwright attempts to become the National League’s first 11-game winner this season when the St. Louis Cardinals open a four-game series against the host Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Wainwright can match Masahiro Tanaka of the New York Yankees for most wins in the majors and he’s also second in the major-league ERA race behind Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto (1.86). Josh Beckett will oppose Wainwright as the Dodgers begin a seven-game homestand.

St. Louis has won four its last five games and scored 22 runs while taking two of three from the Colorado Rockies to begin a 10-game road excursion. The Cardinals trailed 6-4 after six innings on Wednesday but pushed across five unanswered runs over the final three frames. Los Angeles took two of three from Kansas City, winning Wednesday’s game when A.J. Ellis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLBN, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), SportsNet (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (10-3, 2.08 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Josh Beckett (5-4, 2.28)

Wainwright missed one start due to elbow tendinitis but returned to limit Philadelphia to one run and six hits in eight innings on Saturday. He has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last eight outings. Wainwright is 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 13 career appearances (10 starts) against the Dodgers.

Beckett is just 3-3 over his last six outings despite giving up only seven earned runs in 40 innings during the stretch. He didn’t allow a run in all three of the victories, beginning with his first career no-hitter on May 25 against Philadelphia. Beckett is 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA in seven career starts against the Cardinals.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 1B Matt Adams is 8-for-18 with three homers and eight RBIs over his last four games.

2. Dodgers 2B Dee Gordon went 4-for-5 on Wednesday and has two four-hit efforts in his last nine contests.

3. St. Louis LF Matt Holliday was 7-for-14 in the series against the Rockies and had multiple hits in each contest.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 2, Cardinals 1