Reds at Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz put together an impressive rookie season, and he enters Sunday’s finale of a three-game home series against the Cincinnati Reds looking to build off a two-homer performance in Saturday’s victory. After getting just four hits in the season’s first four games, Diaz sparked Saturday’s 10-4 victory with a solo homer in the first and a three-run shot in the fourth, finishing 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBIs.
The Cardinals had dropped three of their first four games and were hitting .188 as a team with one homer before scoring six times on six hits in the first four innings Saturday. Cincinnati’s pitching led the way to victories in three of the Reds' first four games, but Bronson Arroyo – making his first major-league appearance since June 2014 – gave up six runs in four innings. The Reds’ bullpen, which had not allowed a run in the previous three games, surrendered four runs and walked nine hitters (six walks by Robert Stephenson in 1 2/3 innings). Shortstop Zack Cozart extended his season-opening hitting streak to five games and is batting .500 after going 1-for-3 with a triple.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Scott Feldman (0-1, 5.79 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (0-0, 0.00)
Feldman struggled with command during an opening-day loss to Philadelphia, walking two hitters and giving up two homers while allowing three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old only gave up 10 homers in 77 innings pitched for the Astros and Blue Jays a season ago, but posted an 8.14 ERA after moving to Toronto for his final 14 appearances. Feldman made one start against the Cardinals in 2013, giving up five runs on six hits in taking the defeat.
The 25-year-old Martinez, who has won 30 games over the past two seasons, started 2017 by striking out 10 hitters with six hits and no walks in seven shutout innings against the defending champion Cubs on April 2. He threw 68 of his 105 pitches for strikes, including 13 called strikes. Martinez won both his starts against Cincinnati a season ago and is 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA in 16 lifetime appearances against the Reds (five starts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati P Drew Storen, who gave up a run on two hits in one inning Saturday, is one save shy of 100 for his career.
2. The Cardinals play 10 of their next 13 games away from home after Sunday, including road series at Washington, the New York Yankees and Milwaukee.
3. The Reds have homered in each of their first five games, a streak extended by Eugenio Suarez’s solo shot with two outs in the ninth Saturday.