Cardinals at Reds
The St. Louis Cardinals have had their problems on the road since sweeping a three-game series at Miami in early May but hope to change their fortunes when they begin a four-game set against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. St. Louis has lost six of its last seven contests away from home, including the first three of its seven-game road trip.
The Cardinals were unable to avoid being swept by the Chicago Cubs on Sunday as they dropped a 7-6 decision despite a three-run homer by Stephen Piscotty, who halted a 25-game drought after going deep in two of three contests from April 12-15. While St. Louis looks to end a four-game road slide, Cincinnati aims to avoid a three-game skid at home. The Reds began its seven-game homestand by edging Atlanta but lost the three-game series by falling 13-8 in Sunday's rubber match. Zack Cozart recorded his second two-homer performance in five contests and tied his career high with five RBIs, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Reds from losing for the fourth time in their last six at Great American Ball Park.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (4-4, 3.08 ERA) vs. Reds RH Asher Wojciechowski (1-0, 5.63)
Martinez is coming off his seventh consecutive quality start, a victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in which he allowed one run and four hits over eight innings while recording nine strikeouts for the second straight outing. The 25-year-old Dominican has given up more than three runs in only two of his 11 turns this year but has not produced a walk-free effort since his season debut against the Chicago Cubs on April 2. Martinez fell to 5-2 in 17 career appearances (six starts) against Cincinnati on April 9, when he was tagged for six runs - five earned - over five frames.
Wojciechowski made his first major-league start since 2015 with Houston on Tuesday and escaped with a no-decision after yielding four runs and four hits - three homers - over four innings at Toronto. The 28-year-old native of South Carolina began his first season with Cincinnati by making a pair of relief appearances over which he gave up two runs - one earned - and three hits in four frames. Wojciechowski, who never has faced St. Louis, has issued just one walk over eight innings this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cozart enters the series opener having reached base safely in a career-best 26 consecutive games.
2. The Cardinals optioned OF Magneuris Sierra to Triple-A Memphis to make room for 3B Jedd Gyorko, who returned to the lineup Sunday after being on paternity leave for two contests and went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
3. Cincinnati took two of three at St. Louis from April 7-9, posting a pair of shutouts, before splitting weather-abbreviated two-game set at Busch Stadium at the end that month.