San Francisco @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2018 ) San Francisco 3, St. Louis 5

The St. Louis Cardinals began their final homestand of 2018 with a victory and look to make it two in a row when they continue their three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday afternoon. St. Louis squandered a two-run lead in the seventh inning but received a two-run double from pinch-hitter Matt Adams in the eighth as it posted its fourth win in five games.

Kolten Wong delivered a pair of RBI singles and Yadier Molina made his 1,766th career start at catcher to tie Brad Ausmus for 10th place on the all-time list in the victory for the Cardinals, who maintained their 1 1/2-game lead over Colorado for the second wild card in the National League. St. Louis trails Milwaukee by three games for the first spot and the Chicago Cubs by 4 1/2 for first place in the NL Central, with three-game series against both clubs coming up to finish the regular season. Evan Longoria went 3-for-5 with an RBI in the series opener for San Francisco, which fell to 2-2 on its six-game road trip. The Giants began September with an 11-game losing streak and have dropped 14 of 18 overall this month.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Dereck Rodriguez (6-4, 2.30 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (2-3, 3.72)

Rodriguez is in the midst of a five-start winless streak but has allowed more than two earned runs just once in that stretch and only one in each of his last three outings. The 26-year-old Texan rookie, who has gone 0-3 during his drought, took the loss against Colorado on Sunday after giving up three runs on five hits and three walks in six innings. Rodriguez made his first career start versus St. Louis on July 6, when he permitted two runs and five hits over 6 2/3 frames in a no-decision.

Wainwright was superb in his second start after missing nearly four months with an elbow injury, allowing just two hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in six scoreless innings of a victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. It was just the sixth outing of the season for the 37-year-old Georgian, who also was sidelined for just under a month earlier this year with the elbow issue. Wainwright is 6-7 with two complete games and a 3.15 ERA in 15 career appearances (13 starts) against San Francisco.

WALK-OFFS

1. Wong has recorded three multi-hit performances in his last four games, going 7-for-14 with a homer and five RBIs in that span.

2. San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt underwent season-ending knee surgery on Friday but is expected to be ready for spring training in 2019.

3. St. Louis recalled RHP Giovanny Gallegos on Friday - three days after the reliever won the Triple-A National Championship with Memphis.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Giants 3