St. Louis @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 10, 2018 ) St. Louis 14, Chi. White Sox 2

The St. Louis Cardinals will try to build on their best offensive showing in over a year when they wrap up a two-game interleague series against the host Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Kolten Wong and Dexter Fowler both homered and combined for six RBIs as the Cardinals opened the set with a 14-2 victory, improving to 5-3 on their nine-game road trip.

Jose Martinez added three hits and two RBIs for St. Louis, which produced its best run output since also scoring 14 on July 3, 2017. The Cardinals have won five straight meetings with the White Sox, who dropped their sixth consecutive contest overall. Avisail Garcia had been one of the few bright spots for Chicago of late, hammering eight home runs in his last 13 games, but he was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday for the second time this year with a hamstring strain. Opponents are averaging 8.3 runs during the White Sox's six-game slide, a trend that Carlos Rodon will try to end when he gets the start in the finale opposite St. Louis' Luke Weaver.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), NBCS Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Luke Weaver (5-7, 4.92 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (1-3, 4.29)

Weaver endured a rocky stretch in June but opened July with a gem at San Francisco, limiting the Giants to two runs in a season-high eight innings. He yielded two hits and struck out seven without issuing a walk in the win, just his second in a span of 10 starts. The Florida State product is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two career interleague starts.

Rodon worked around six walks in six innings of two-run ball at Houston on Thursday. It marked the fourth time in six starts this year the 25-year-old allowed exactly two earned runs. Rodon is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two home starts this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter recorded two hits Tuesday and is batting .332 in 115 career interleague games.

2. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu went 0-for-4 in the series opener and is 2-for-27 over an eight-game span.

3. Chicago added OF Ryan LaMarre, who was claimed off waivers from Minnesota on Monday, to the 25-man roster to take Garcia's spot.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 6, White Sox 4