St. Louis @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jun 29, 2013 ) St. Louis 7, Oakland 1
Adam Wainwright's five-hitter helped his team out of a rough stretch, something Jake Westbrook will attempt to repeat on the road Sunday as the St. Louis Cardinals meet the Oakland Athletics in a rubber match of a three-game set. Prior to Saturday’s 7-1 victory, St. Louis’ pitching staff had taken a beating recently, going 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA over its last six games. Westbrook has a rotation-best 2.21 ERA, but is 25 innings shy of qualification due to a long stint on the disabled list.
Saturday’s result was painful for the Athletics since the loss was only their third at home in 18 tries, but also because starter Jarrod Parker was forced to leave the game early with what was diagnosed initially as cramping in his right hamstring. One bit of good news to come from the loss was a two-hit effort from catcher Derek Norris, who is helping fill in for injured catcher John Jaso. Norris endured a 4-for-39 slump over his previous 13 games.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Midwest (St. Louis), Comcast SportsNet California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Jake Westbrook (4-2, 2.21 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Tommy Milone (6-7, 4.06)
Westbrook has allowed a total of six hits while collecting a pair of victories over his last two turns. He yielded four runs and four hits in six frames during Tuesday’s 13-5 home victory over the Houston Astros. Westbrook, who has given up all 14 of his earned runs on the road, is allowing opposing hitters to bat .303 against him away from home. The right-hander is 5-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 15 all-time appearances (14 starts) against Oakland.
Milone is in the midst of a four-game winless drought, coming one out short of a victory after leaving with the bases loaded through 4 2/3 innings in his last outing. He is 0-2 with a 5.94 ERA over his last three starts, and permitted three runs on six hits and season-high four walks in Tuesday’s 7-3 home win over the Cincinnati Reds. Milone has never faced St. Louis and will look to get back on track at Oakland Coliseum, where he is 3-3 with a 2.82 ERA in seven starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Not including extra innings, St. Louis has outscored its opponent in every frame except the ninth.
2. Oakland’s bullpen has surrendered 15 runs over its last 17 2/3 innings.
3. The Cardinals lead the majors with a .338 batting average with runners in scoring position. No other team in baseball is hitting over .300.
PREDICTION: Athletics 4, Cardinals 3