Atlanta @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 6, 2016 ) Atlanta 13, St. Louis 5

The Atlanta Braves own the worst record in baseball, but you wouldn’t notice with the way they’ve been playing of late. The Braves will try to secure their fourth straight non-losing series when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday for the rubber match of their three-game set.

Atlanta and St. Louis are at opposite ends of the competition cycle, but it’s the Braves who appear to be fighting for a wild-card spot with their recent surge while the Cardinals have dropped five of their last seven games. St. Louis’ swoon began against the team it is battling for the second National League wild card – Miami – but has continued against a pair of clubs going nowhere in Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta. Cardinals pitchers have allowed an average of 8.6 runs in the last five losses, including a 13-5 setback on Saturday that got out of hand when the Braves pushed across six runs in the ninth inning. Matt Kemp hit his first homer for Atlanta in the ninth and improved to 2-for-18 in five games since joining the team at the trade deadline.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (4-5, 4.60 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (9-5, 4.14)

Foltynewicz struggled in his last two starts, allowing a total of 12 runs – 11 earned – on 16 hits and three walks in 10 2/3 innings against Minnesota and Pittsburgh. The offense bailed out the 24-year-old on July 27 but could not turn that trick again on Tuesday as he suffered the loss. Foltynewicz, who is making his first career appearance against St. Louis, is 3-4 with a 5.40 ERA in seven road starts this season.

Wainwright has not lost since June 27 but is winless in his last three starts and could not make it into the sixth inning at Cincinnati on Tuesday. The Georgia native needed 101 pitches to make it through five frames and was charged with two runs and five hits in the no-decision. Wainwright had a rough outing at Atlanta on April 10, surrendering five runs on six hits and five walks in five innings, but escaped with a no-decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Braves traded LHP Hunter Cervenka to the Marlins on Saturday for a pair of minor leaguers.

2. St. Louis C Yadier Molina (right hand contusion) left Saturday’s game and is day-to-day.

3. Atlanta, which ranks last in the majors with 68 home runs, hit four in Saturday’s triumph.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 6, Braves 4