St. Louis @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2014 ) St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 0
Michael Wacha will make his second start since returning from a shoulder injury when he leads the St. Louis Cardinals into another matchup at the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. Wacha tossed three innings in his return to the mound Thursday in Milwaukee in his first appearance in the majors since June 17. The right-hander's comeback could yield big dividends down the stretch for the Cardinals; he had a 1.72 ERA in five September starts as a 22-year-old rookie last year before shining in the postseason.
Wacha's return is just part of a phenomenal stretch for St. Louis, which took the series opener 5-0 on Monday and has won nine of its last 10. The Cardinals own a 4 1/2-game lead in the National League Central with 18 games to play, 15 of which are against losing teams. The Reds managed three hits against Shelby Miller and two relievers Monday and are averaging 2.7 runs during a 2-8 stretch.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (5-5, 2.80 ERA) vs. Reds RH Mike Leake (10-11, 3.59)
Wacha threw 54 pitches in two innings in his lone rehab start with Double-A and 51 in his return to the majors at Milwaukee. He opened the season with back-to-back solid efforts against the Reds, limiting them to a run and 10 hits in 12 2/3 innings. Overall in 2014, Wacha is 0-5 with a 3.38 ERA on the road.
Leake will reach the 30-start mark for the third straight season while looking to recover from one of his worst in 2014. He was reached for seven runs in four innings at Baltimore on Thursday, serving up a season high-tying three home runs. Leake owns a 2.14 ERA in three starts versus St. Louis this year but is 3-5 with a 4.75 mark in 12 career encounters.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals LF Matt Holliday is 12-for-30 with seven RBIs in his career against Leake.
2. Reds CF Billy Hamilton is 2-for-20 with seven strikeouts and no stolen bases over his last six games.
3. St. Louis has won the last six meetings and owns a 10-3 series advantage.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Reds 3