Los Angeles @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( May 15, 2016 ) St. Louis 5, LA Dodgers 2

The St. Louis Cardinals continued their strong play at home with an impressive comeback victory that capped a four-game sweep. They look to extend their winning streak to five games when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday for the opener of a three-game set.

St. Louis rallied from a 5-1 deficit on Thursday, scoring four in the eighth before Aledmys Diaz delivered an RBI single with one out in the ninth as the Cardinals defeated San Diego and improved to 24-28 at Busch Stadium. Los Angeles also posted an impressive win Thursday as Justin Turner belted a pair of homers and drove in five runs to help hand Washington's Stephen Strasburg his first loss in 14 decisions this season. Turner has been on fire over the first six contests of the Dodgers' nine-game road trip, going 10-for-25 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. Los Angeles could be without Yasiel Puig, who left Thursday's game with tightness in his right hamstring, while St. Louis may be missing Matt Holliday after the slugger exited the team's contest after being grazed in the nose by a pitch.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.45)

McCarthy has been superb since returning from Tommy John surgery, allowing three runs and eight hits while registering 22 strikeouts over 16 innings in three starts. The 33-year-old Californian won his first two outings but settled for a no-decision at Arizona on Saturday despite recording eight strikeouts and scattering three hits over six scoreless frames. McCarthy has made two career starts against St. Louis, surrendering seven runs and 16 hits in 11 innings without receiving a decision.

Wacha matched a season low on Sunday by working only four innings in a no-decision against Miami, which reached him for three runs and seven hits. Despite the brief outing, the 25-year-old native of Iowa extended his unbeaten streak to five starts, allowing three earned runs or fewer in each turn. Wacha also lasted only four frames at Los Angeles on May 13, yielding six runs - two earned - on eight hits and three walks in falling to 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers C Yasmani Grandal is day-to-day with a stomach illness.

2. Diaz has recorded two hits in each of his last three games while St. Louis INF Jedd Gyorko has gone 8-for-14 with four home runs and seven RBIs over his last four contests.

3. Los Angeles is just 3-3 on the trek, scoring a total of 27 runs in the victories while being limited to seven in the losses.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Cardinals 3