Cardinals at Reds
Jose Martinez and Yadier Molina already were hitting reasonably well prior to the start of this weekend's series in Cincinnati, and little has changed after facing the Reds' woeful pitching staff each of the last two days. Buoyed by a resurgent offense, the St. Louis Cardinals eye their first three-game winning streak of the season Saturday afternoon, when they meet the Reds for the third of four games at Great American Ball Park.
Martinez set career highs with four hits and six RBIs in Thursday's 13-4 series-opening rout, leading an offensive attack that registered 12 hits - including four homers - and drew 11 walks. Molina went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs in that contest and continued to pound Cincinnati's pitching on Friday, belting one of the Cardinals' two homers while adding a two-run double to power his team to a 5-3 victory. The Reds don't need to look any further than their struggling hurlers as to why they are in the midst of a six-game losing streak and have dropped 11 of their first 13 contests, matching their worst start since 1955. Cincinnati already has surrendered at least five runs in a game nine times and owns the worst staff ERA in the majors by far at 6.56 (Miami is closest at 5.29).
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Miles Mikolas (1-0, 6.00 ERA) vs. Reds LH Brandon Finnegan (2017: 1-1, 4.15)
Mikolas kept the ball in the park Monday after giving up three homers in his season debut, but he did not factor in the decision against Milwaukee after yielding four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old, who is in his first major-league season since 2014, has helped his cause somewhat by posting a 10:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Mikolas, who never has faced anyone on the Reds' current roster, is 3-5 with a 6.36 ERA in 12 career starts.
Finnegan is expected to get the nod over Cody Reed for Saturday's start after missing most of last season due to shoulder surgery. The TCU product was able to throw 98 pitches on Monday in his only rehab start with Triple-A Louisville, ultimately taking the loss after permitting four runs - three earned - on eight hits and five walks in five frames. Molina is 5-for-10 with a homer against Finnegan, who was tagged for three runs over three innings by the Cardinals last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals OF Marcell Ozuna is batting .345 during his National League-best 12-game hitting streak.
2. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto is two walks shy of 1,000 for his career. When he achieves the feat, he will become the second-fastest player in club history to reach that mark since 1900.
3. All 11 of Martinez's RBIs this month have come in three games.