Cincinnati @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2018 ) Cincinnati 5, St. Louis 12

The St. Louis Cardinals' decision to pass on veterans and trust their farm system at the trade deadline sparked one of the best months in club history. Daniel Poncedeleon hopes to continue the Cardinals' recent success with rookie starters Saturday when St. Louis hosts the second of three games versus the Cincinnati Reds.

Matt Carpenter connected on his National League-best 35th home run and Paul DeJong had a career-high five RBIs to help Austin Gomber become the first St. Louis rookie left-hander to win five games in August following Friday's 12-5 series-opening victory, ending a month during which the NL wild-card leaders finished 22-6. Over that span, Cardinals' rookies were credited with 12 of the victories while posting a combined 2.53 ERA. St. Louis (76-59), which moved 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central with the win, will attempt to secure its 11th straight series victory overall Saturday versus the Reds, who have dropped three straight and eight of nine. Scooter Gennett was one of two Cincinnati players with three hits in the opener and is tied with Milwaukee's Christian Yelich for the best batting average in the NL (.317).

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (7-11, 5.07 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Daniel Poncedeleon (0-0, 2.08)

Castillo went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five July starts, but he dropped three of his four August outings in part because he has given up five runs - including a pair of homers each time - in two of his last three efforts. One of those turns came last Saturday at the Chicago Cubs, as the 25-year-old lasted only 3 1/3 innings. Carpenter (4-for-10, one homer) and Yadier Molina (4-for-12, four RBIs) have fared well against Castillo, who is 0-2 with a 4.64 ERA in four starts versus St. Louis this season.

Poncedeleon will make his third career start and first since an inefficient yet dominant no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 21 in which he allowed one run and fanned eight while throwing 90 pitches over four innings. The former ninth-round pick has performed similarly at Triple-A Memphis this season, going 9-4 with a 2.24 ERA across 19 games (18 starts) while striking out 110 in 96 1/3 frames. Poncedeleon fired seven hitless innings in a no-decision during his first big-league start at Cincinnati on July 23.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 1B Jose Martinez is batting .444 with five multi-hit efforts during a seven-game hitting streak.

2. Cincinnati OF Scott Schebler is batting .415 with five home runs and 14 RBIs over his last 17 appearances at Busch Stadium.

3. St. Louis OF Marcell Ozuna (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the disabled list Saturday, although manager Mike Shildt indicated he may be limited initially.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 8, Reds 4