Cincinnati @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2013 ) Cincinnati 1, St. Louis 6

St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright looks to take over the National League lead in victories when the Cardinals conclude a three-game home set against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Wainwright has won 15 games, tied for most in the league with Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann, and attempts to pitch St. Louis to a series sweep of the Reds. The first-place Cardinals have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central, while the Reds are 4 1/2 back.

Cincinnati has lost four of its last five contests and has seen the Arizona Diamondbacks crawl within five games of the NL’s second wild-card spot. St. Louis, which is 10-4 against the Reds this season, is speeding in the opposite direction with six wins in seven games and 12 in its last 16. Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday has driven in a run in seven consecutive games, one shy of the majors' season-best streak Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt put together in June.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Homer Bailey (8-10, 3.71 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (15-7, 2.58)

Bailey has won three straight decisions following a rough July stretch during which he lost four consecutive starts. He lost two early-season outings against St. Louis, getting battered both times as he carries a 9.58 ERA and 2.13 WHIP into Wednesday’s matchup. Bailey repeatedly has struggled against the Cardinals, compiling a 3-9 career mark and 5.61 ERA in 15 starts.

Wainwright has won back-to-back starts, allowing just two runs, 11 hits and one walk while striking out 20 over 16 innings. He tossed his major league-leading fifth complete game against Atlanta in his last outing, matching his career-best total from 2010. Wainwright is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA against Cincinnati this season - allowing two runs over seven innings in both starts - and is 5-7 with a 4.01 ERA in 18 career outings (13 starts) versus the Reds.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds 1B Joey Votto is 3-for-23 with one walk against Wainwright.

2. Cardinals 2B Matt Carpenter is 7-for-11 versus Bailey, while OF Holliday (.400 with two homers in 30 at-bats) and C Yadier Molina (.364 with two homers in 22 at-bats) also have fared well.

3. Cincinnati OF Shin-Soo Choo hit his 17th homer of the season – and the 100th of his career – for Cincinnati’s lone run Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Reds 0