The St. Louis Cardinals (50-44, 50-43 RL, 43-46-4 O/U) clash with the Cincinnati Reds (34-57, 42-48 RL, 47-40-3 O/U) as the division foes open a three-game series on Friday evening. The Cardinals will have Adam Wainwright on the mound, seeking his seventh win. The Reds will counter with Graham Ashcraft. The Cards lead the season series 6-2.
The Cards will give the nod to Adam Wainwright to begin the series. Wainwright was flawless in his previous start, tossing 5.1 shutout innings against the Dodgers, but the pen couldn’t hold a lead and he finished with a no-decision. The veteran right-hander is having another effective season, registering a 3.00 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP accompanied by a 6-7 record in 111 innings of work. Wainwright has allowed seven runs in 12 innings against the Reds this season and is 10-16 with a 5.29 ERA in 38 career meetings against the rivals.
The Cardinals were inconsistent in the few weeks leading up to the break, however, they managed to go 5-2 in their last seven games which included a series loss to the Dodgers. They will be in an exciting battle with the Brewers for the top spot in the division the rest of the season.
Nolan Arenado has been surprisingly quiet against the Reds this season, going 8 for 28 with only three RBIs. The veteran third baseman is having a stellar year, recording 59 RBIs accompanied by an .885 OPS. Arenado features a remarkable 1.1 OPS this month. Harrison Bader remains out of action.
The Cardinals are scoring an average of 4.59 runs per game, ranking them 10th overall. The pitching staff has recorded a 3.75 team ERA, good for ninth in the big leagues.