St. Louis @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2019 ) St. Louis 1, Colorado 2

The St. Louis Cardinals look to bounce back from an unusually quiet night at Coors Field when they continue their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. St. Louis had won five in a row against Colorado before managing just six hits in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss.

Nolan Arenado blasted a two-run homer in the first inning on Tuesday and Charlie Blackmon contributed two hits as Colorado won for the second time in its last 13 games. Raimel Tapia snapped a 0-for-13 skid with a single in the fourth inning while Jairo Diaz solidified his role as the team’s closer by tossing two scoreless innings for his second career save. St. Louis leads the National League Central by four games over the Chicago Cubs and has not lost a series since being swept at the Los Angeles Dodgers from Aug. 5-7. Yadier Molina extended his on-base streak to 20 games on Tuesday and is batting .312 with four homers over his last 26 contests.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Dakota Hudson (15-6, 3.40 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (8-10, 7.19)

Hudson won his fifth straight start last Thursday, allowing one hit over six innings in the Cardinals’ 10-0 victory over San Francisco. The 24-year-old rookie has posted a 1.37 ERA over his last four starts and is just the second Cardinals rookie since 1967 to record 15 victories. Hudson tossed six scoreless frames in a 6-0 win over Colorado on Aug. 24 and is 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA in four career games (one start) versus the Rockies.

Senzatela gave up five runs for a franchise-record seventh straight game in last Wednesday’s 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I’m trying not to be frustrated right now,” Senzatela told reporters. “I’m trying to work hard every day to give me a chance of a decent ballgame and try to make really good pitches.” Paul Goldschmidt is 4-for-15 with a home run against the 24-year-old, who owns a 1-3 record and 6.75 ERA in five career starts versus St. Louis.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Cardinals are 13-5 against Colorado since the start of the 2017 season.

2. Colorado starting pitchers have gone at least five innings in four consecutive starts for the first time since mid-August.

3. St. Louis C Matt Wieters has been out since Sept. 1 due to a left calf strain but could return next week.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 8, Rockies 3