Seattle @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2013 ) Seattle 4, St. Louis 1

The St. Louis Cardinals attempt to maintain at least a share of first place in the National League Central when they conclude their three-game set against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Sunday. The Cardinals fell into a tie with Pittsburgh atop the division as they registered only three hits in a 4-1 loss to the Mariners on Saturday. St. Louis has won six of its last eight games.

Seattle snapped a five-game skid with a victory that featured six scoreless innings from rookie James Paxton and Franklin Gutierrez’s two-run double. St. Louis has recorded just three runs and seven hits over 19 innings in the series, with Friday’s two runs coming on a fielder’s choice and a passed ball and Saturday’s scoring on a wild pitch. The Cardinals are 6-2 on a nine-game homestand that concludes Sunday.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Erasmo Ramirez (5-1, 4.57 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Shelby Miller (13-9, 3.05)

Ramirez settled for a no-decision in his last turn despite limiting Tampa Bay to four hits in six-plus scoreless innings. He has a 2.27 ERA over his last five starts despite recording only one victory during that stretch. Ramirez has allowed 11 homers in 61 frames this season.

Miller was brilliant in his last outing, allowing five hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a win over Milwaukee. Even though he has more strikeouts (161) than innings pitched (156 1/3), he has fanned fewer than five batters in each of his last three starts. Miller is 8-3 with a 1.76 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 14 home outings this year.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners 1B Kendrys Morales hit his fifth homer of the month on Saturday after going deep just once in August.

2. Cardinals 2B Matt Carpenter hit his 50th double on Saturday. He is tied with Baltimore’s Manny Machado for the major-league lead.

3. Seattle SS Brad Miller (hamstring) left Saturday’s game in the fifth inning and could miss Sunday’s finale.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Mariners 3