Mets at Cardinals
Paul DeJong and the St. Louis Cardinals are heating up heading into Tuesday's opener of their three-game series at Busch Stadium against the New York Mets. DeJong has homered in back-to-back contests and three times over his last five outings for the Cardinals, who have won eight of nine overall after capping their second sweep of the season by brushing aside reeling Cincinnati.
DeJong is 6-for-20 with seven RBIs and four runs scored during his last five outings overall and faces a Mets team that he has tormented in his young career. The 24-year-old went 4-for-11 with two solo homers in the teams' previous series at Citi Field on March 29-April 1 and is 11-for-30 with four homers and six RBIs in his career versus New York - including 3-for-5 with two blasts against Tuesday starter Zack Wheeler. New York's Asdrubal Cabrera is 11-for-25 with seven RBIs and four runs scored in his last six games before Mother Nature gave him and his team the day off with a rainout in Atlanta on Sunday. Cabrera will look to heat up again versus St. Louis, against which he had four hits - including two doubles - and two runs scored as New York won two of three in the season-opening series.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (1-1, 2.77 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Luke Weaver (2-1, 4.22)
Wheeler has touched 97 mph with his fastball while reporting no health issues through two starts, an encouraging sign given he struggled with injuries last season and he missed all of 2015 and 2016 after Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old held Miami to two hits and one run with seven strikeouts in seven outstanding innings April 11, then followed six days later with a loss to Washington after giving up three runs on seven hits with three walks across six innings. Wheeler owns an 0-2 mark with a 4.76 ERA in two career starts versus St. Louis.
Adam Wainwright's trip to the disabled list caused the Cardinals to move up Weaver's next scheduled start. The 24-year-old will bid to atone for a tough outing on Thursday, as he surrendered season highs in runs (six) and hits (nine) while lasting a campaign-worst four innings. Weaver pitched significantly better in his lone career outing against the Mets on April 1, when he permitted just one run on five hits in five innings to pick up the win.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York CF Juan Lagares went 5-for-9 in the first series versus St. Louis.
2. Cardinals LF Marcell Ozuna is 1-for-18 in his last five contests on the heels of a 12-game hitting streak.
3. Mets RF Jay Bruce is 3-for-31 with eight strikeouts in his last 11 contests.