Pirates at Cardinals
After playing .500 ball for the better part of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals appear to be hitting their stride just in time to make a push for the postseason and perhaps an unlikely run for the National League Central crown. Winners of eight of their last 10, the Cardinals look to complete a three-game sweep at home on Sunday, when they host the fading Pittsburgh Pirates.
St. Louis moved within three games of the division-leading Chicago Cubs with its sixth victory in seven games following Saturday's 4-3 triumph, as Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter homered while rookie Paul DeJong doubled and eventually scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. In addition to inching closer to the Cubs, the Cardinals remained three games behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the NL. The Pirates matched their offensive output from the last three games combined and held St. Louis to four hits, but it was not quite enough as they fell for a fourth consecutive time. Adam Frazier has been a rare bright spot for Pittsburgh since coming off the disabled list prior to the series opener, delivering a pinch-hit RBI single in Friday's setback before going 2-for-5 with an inside-the-park homer on Saturday.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, AT&T Sportsnet-Pittsburgh, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Ivan Nova (11-12, 4.11 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (11-7, 4.21)
Nova enters Sunday on 10 days' rest after he was skipped in the rotation in order to clear his head after struggling in most of his nine starts since the All-Star break, posting a 2-6 record with a 6.38 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. The 30-year-old Dominican suffered his sixth loss in seven decisions against the Cubs on Aug. 30, surrendering five runs - four earned - over three frames. One of Nova's best starts during his poor stretch came in an Aug. 20 victory against the Cardinals as he allowed three runs across 5 2/3 innings.
Wacha recorded his second straight win Tuesday in San Diego following a three-start losing streak despite yielding four runs - three earned - on seven hits and three walks in six frames. The Texas A&M product has been significantly better at home this season, going 7-3 with a 3.45 ERA in 14 turns (versus 4-4, 5.10 in 12 road outings). Andrew McCutchen is 12-for-31 with a homer against Wacha, who has given up six runs - including three homers - across 10 2/3 innings while splitting a pair of decisions versus Pittsburgh this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals OF Dexter Fowler left the game Saturday after suffering a left knee contusion on Frazier's inside-the-park homer in the seventh inning.
2. Frazier's inside-the-parker was the first in Busch Stadium since Edwin Encarnacion hit one for Cincinnati on Aug. 31, 2007.
3. St. Louis OF Tommy Pham, who has struck out four times in six at-bats in this series, is one home run and one steal away from becoming the first Cardinal to post a 20-20 season since 2004.