With the first-place Chicago Cubs slumping, the door is open for someone to slip back into the National League Central race, and the two top candidates to do so go head to head for four games starting Monday. The second-place St. Louis Cardinals host the surging Pittsburgh Pirates as both hope to make a charge at the Cubs when they square off this week.
The Pirates have won four straight and seven of their last nine following a three-game sweep at Oakland over the weekend, while St. Louis is coming off its first home sweep of the season after taking three from Milwaukee. The Cardinals hope to continue their success against left-hander Jonathon Niese, who is 0-1 with a 10.45 ERA in two meetings this season, having allowing 13 runs (12 earned) over 10 1/3 innings. St. Louis could use a similar performance in support of right-hander Carlos Martinez, as the Cardinals have totaled just eight runs over his last three starts – all losses. The Cardinals have won 11 straight against NL Central rivals, including a three-game sweep at Pittsburgh from June 10-12, but the Pirates lead the season series 5-4.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Jonathon Niese (6-6, 5.07 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (7-5, 2.83)
Niese turned in perhaps his best start of the season June 7 against the New York Mets but has been shelled in four starts since then. The 29-year-old has pitched to an 8.86 ERA while losing four straight starts and gave up five runs (four earned) over 4 2/3 innings in a loss at Seattle last time out. Niese is 4-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 11 starts against the Cardinals.
Martinez has twirled six straight quality starts and has been especially dominant over his last four outings, posting a 0.64 ERA by allowing only two runs in 28 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old has just one win over the last four starts, though, and didn’t factor in the decision Wednesday against Kansas City despite six scoreless innings. Martinez has a mixed record against the Pirates, but he’s 1-1 with a 1.54 ERA in two starts against them this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals SS Aledmys Diaz is 10-for-24 during a six-game hitting streak and boasts three homers in his past eight games.
2. Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen, who is 4-for-24 with eight strikeouts against Martinez, sat out Sunday with a sore heel.
3. Pittsburgh claimed C Eric Fryer off waivers from St. Louis on Sunday, bolstering their depth chart behind the plate with C Francisco Cervelli on the disabled list and C Chris Stewart a candidate for the DL with knee and ankle injuries.