Reds at Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals have plenty of power in the lineup, but Marcell Ozuna is beginning to separate himself from the pack. Ozuna will try to follow up another big game and lead the Cardinals to a series victory when they host the Cincinnati Reds in the rubber match of the three-game set on Sunday.
Ozuna slugged his 10th home run and drove in five runs among two hits in Saturday's 6-3 triumph and is up to 26 RBIs in 25 games. The 28-year-old slugger managed 23 homers and recorded a .433 slugging percentage in his first season in St. Louis in 2018 but is up to a team-high .663 slugging percentage in 2019 as he settles into the cleanup spot behind Matt Carpenter, Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong. The Reds bashed five home runs in a 12-1 victory in the series opener on Friday but managed only one extra-base hit - a double from Jesse Winkler - among seven hits on Saturday while falling to 4-9 on the road. Cincinnati will try to find its power again on Sunday against Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty while countering with righty Sonny Gray.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Sonny Gray (0-3, 3.65 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Jack Flaherty (2-1, 5.25)
Gray almost pulled off his first win on Tuesday against Atlanta but surrendered three runs in the sixth inning and was charged with four in 5 1/3 frames without factoring in the decision. The Vanderbilt product struck out nine in each of his last two outings and is up to 31 Ks in 24 2/3 innings. Gray spent the first six seasons of his career in the American League and is facing St. Louis for the first time.
Flaherty served up three home runs against Milwaukee on Monday but struck out 10 over six innings and ended up with the win. The 23-year-old owns 32 strikeouts in 24 innings while walking five and yielding seven home runs through his first five turns. Flaherty made two starts against Cincinnati last season and went 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA while striking out 13 in 10 total innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Goldschmidt hit safely in each of the last 13 games.
2. Reds RF Scott Schebler is 1-for-28 over his last 12 games, dropping his batting average to .132.
3. St. Louis C Yadier Molina hit safely in each of his last 14 games.