Cincinnati @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2016 ) Cincinnati 5, St. Louis 12

Aledmys Diaz left the St. Louis Cardinals for a day to mourn Sunday's death of Cuban boyhood neighbor Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins. The All-Star shortstop returned in style to help St. Louis post a pivotal victory, and the Cardinals aim for another crucial win when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

Diaz smacked his first career grand slam in Tuesday's 12-5 victory as St. Louis remained one game behind San Francisco for the National League's second wild-card spot. The blast was one of five homers for the Cardinals, who won for just the second time in their last six games. Jhonny Peralta also collected four RBIs while going 3-for-4 with a homer and has gone 9-for-17 while hitting safely in five straight contests. Cincinnati's Joey Votto is 5-for-9 in the series and a red-hot 16-for-33 with four homers, four doubles and seven RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (8-5, 3.38 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (9-11, 4.72)

DeSclafani has dropped three consecutive outings after going 8-2 over his first 16 starts. He was reached for five runs and six hits in six innings by Milwaukee in his last turn. DeSclafani settled for a no-decision against St. Louis when he allowed two runs and six hits over seven frames on Sept. 2 and is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against the Cardinals.

Leake is 0-2 with a 5.95 ERA over his last four starts, pitching 4 1/3 or fewer innings twice during the stretch. He was hammered by the Chicago Cubs in his last turn as he gave up five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 frames of a 5-0 loss. Leake was tagged by the Reds for seven runs and eight hits in five innings on Aug. 4 and is 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in three turns against his former club this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals INF Matt Carpenter, who returned from a finger injury to hit his 20th homer of the season on Tuesday, always has fared well against DeSclafani (6-for-12, two homers).

2. Cincinnati LF Adam Duvall, who is tied for fourth in the NL with 33 homers, is 4-for-10 with two blasts against Leake.

3. St. Louis 1B Matt Adams drilled a pinch-hit homer on Tuesday, extending the club's single-season record to 16.

PREDICTION: Reds 9, Cardinals 6