Pirates at Cardinals
Busch Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will look to end a seven-game losing skid in the Gateway City on Friday when they open a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh dropped three consecutive 2-1 decisions in St. Louis when the National League Central rivals met in April.
Pittsburgh sustained consecutive losses to split its four-game series at Milwaukee to fall to 3-5 on the heels of a season-high four-game winning streak. Gregory Polanco highlighted his fourth multi-hit performance in six games with a solo homer in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers, but is just 3-for-14 in his career against Friday starter Adam Wainwright. St. Louis rookie Paul DeJong also went deep in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Philadelphia, extending his team's home run streak to 11 straight games - with 20 coming since last Friday. DeJong went 7-for-23 on the road trip and will get his first look at Friday starter Jameson Taillon.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ROOT PIT (Pittsburgh), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (3-2, 3.38 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (7-5, 5.75)
Taillon answered a brilliant performance with a mediocre one on Sunday, allowing four runs on eight hits in five innings of a 7-1 setback to the Chicago Cubs. "I think they're looking for fastballs early, and then some breaking balls didn't work his way at all," manager Clint Hurdle said of the 25-year-old. Taillon permitted two runs in five innings of a no-decision versus St. Louis on Sept. 7 last season.
Wainwright surrendered nine runs on seven hits for the second time in three starts on Saturday, lasting a career-low 1 2/3 innings in a 15-7 rout at Baltimore. The 35-year-old surrendered three homers in that contest after being taken deep just five times in his previous 13 games. A trip back to Busch Stadium could be what the doctor ordered for Wainwright, who owns a 5-1 mark with a 2.88 ERA in seven home starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. St. Louis C Yadier Molina is riding a 10-game hitting streak, during which he has three homers, five RBIs and as many runs scored.
2. Pirates SS Jordy Mercer, who saw his 11-game hitting streak halted on Thursday, went 3-for-11 in the previous series versus the Cardinals.
3. St. Louis LF Tommy Pham is 5-for-14 with three homers and four RBIs in his last three games.