Cincinnati @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2016 ) Cincinnati 15, St. Louis 2

The St. Louis Cardinals were beaten savagely by Cincinnati in the series opener and badly need a victory when they host the Reds on Tuesday in the second contest of the four-game set. Cincinnati racked up 22 hits during a 15-2 rout on Monday that dropped the slumping Cardinals one game behind San Francisco for the National League's second wild-card spot with just six contests remaining.

St. Louis has lost four of its last five games, and Monday's setback was an unpleasant way to open its crucial season-ending seven-game homestand. The Cardinals will send veteran Adam Wainwright to the mound Tuesday in hopes he can slow down the Reds, who belted four homers in the opener. Adam Duvall went 4-for-5 with two blasts to increase his season count to 33, and he collected a career-high five RBIs to reach 100 for the first time. Steve Selsky went 5-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs to become the first Cincinnati rookie to register five hits in a game since Wade Rowdon in 1986.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Robert Stephenson (2-2, 5.59 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (12-9, 4.57)

Stephenson is winless in his last four outings since being recalled in early September. He made two other starts for the Reds in April, when the rotation was decimated by injuries, and he won both. Stephenson has allowed four runs in each of his last three starts and lasted less than four innings in two of them.

Wainwright has won three of his last four starts despite giving up six homers during the stretch. He served up three against Colorado while winning his last outing as he gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Wainwright is 8-10 with a 4.41 ERA in 26 career appearances (21 starts) against Cincinnati and has enjoyed success against Joey Votto (9-for-40, one homer).

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals INF Matt Carpenter (right middle finger) sat out the opener and is questionable for Tuesday's contest.

2. Cincinnati 2B Brandon Phillips went 4-for-5 on Monday for his 14th career four-hit performance.

3. St. Louis SS Aledmys Diaz didn't play Monday as he attended a private service in Miami for late Marlins RHP Jose Fernandez, who died in a boating accident a day earlier.

PREDICTION: Reds 7, Cardinals 6