Royals at Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals started off the I-70 Series in good fashion and look to defeat the visiting Kansas City Royals again on Tuesday. Tyler O'Neill homered and drove in four runs as St. Louis cruised to a 6-0 victory on Monday.
O'Neill, a 22-year-old outfielder, has gone deep in three straight games and is 7-for-12 in four contests since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis last week. Matt Carpenter continued his recent surge by going 3-for-4 with a homer and has recorded three three-hit performances while going 13-for-24 over his last six games. St. Louis has won three of its last four while struggling Kansas City is in a deep decline with eight losses in its last nine contests. The Royals have scored fewer than three runs on five occasions during the stretch and are a major league-worst 19 games below .500.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jason Hammel (0-5, 6.28 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Luke Weaver (3-3, 4.37)
Hammel is winless in his last 13 starts, including nine this season, and has given up five or more runs on four occasions this year. The 35-year-old has been roughed up in his last two outings, surrendering 14 runs and 16 hits - four homers - in 9 2/3 innings. Hammel is 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA in 13 career starts against the Cardinals but has shut down Carpenter (3-for-27, homer, 11 strikeouts).
Weaver dropped his last outing despite giving up just one run and four hits over seven innings against Philadelphia. The 24-year-old has allowed just one run in 12 frames over his last two starts after giving up 18 earned runs in 18 innings over his previous four turns. Weaver, who never has faced the Royals, is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in four home starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals RF Marcell Ozuna went 2-for-3 with a walk on Monday after entering the contest in an 0-for-22 funk.
2. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon was hitless in three at-bats in the opener and is 4-for-40 over his last 12 games.
3. St. Louis SS Greg Garcia (lower back tightness) departed the opener and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday.