St. Louis @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2016 ) Pittsburgh 1, St. Louis 5

The Pittsburgh Pirates might be looking at their best shot to stay in the National League wild card race after a tough week dropped them to the brink of contention. The Pirates will try to make up some ground in head-to-head competition when they host the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

Pittsburgh has lost six in a row to fall 3 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the race for the second NL wild card spot and is coming off a particularly distressing weekend in which they were shut out twice at home by the Milwaukee Brewers. "I think anytime you don't score runs, it looks like you're pressing,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told reporters after Sunday’s 10-0 setback. “It magnifies everything else that doesn't go well when you don't score runs.” The Cardinals avoided a sweep at Cincinnati with a 5-2 win on Sunday and are more concerned with the New York Mets, who stand one game behind them in the wild card race. The Cardinals, who host the Pirates in a three-game series closing the regular season, have dropped eight of their last 14 games.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (9-8, 4.53 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Chad Kuhl (3-2, 3.70)

Wainwright is winless in his last eight starts but seemed to take a step forward at Milwaukee last time out. The veteran was charged with one run on three hits and struck out seven without walking a batter in seven innings but did not factor in the decision. Wainwright posted a similar effort in a win over Pittsburgh on July 7, yielding one run and five hits while striking out nine in seven frames.

Kuhl allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last six starts but is winless in the past three as the offense offered him a total of four runs of support. The 23-year-old allowed three runs and four hits at the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, and came out on the wrong end of a 3-0 final score. Kuhl is making his first career start against St. Louis and is 2-1 with a 5.12 ERA in four starts at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates 3B Jung Ho Kang (shoulder) is expected to come off the 15-day disabled list on Monday.

2. St. Louis has homered in a franchise-record 23 consecutive games.

3. Cardinals RHP Mike Leake (shingles) could return to the rotation this week.

PREDICTION: Pirates 6, Cardinals 1