Cardinals at Braves
The St. Louis Cardinals struggled offensively while losing nine of 11 games, but hope to carry a breakout performance into Wednesday’s middle contest of a three-game series at the Atlanta Braves. St. Louis emphatically snapped out of its offensive doldrums in a 14-3 series-opening drubbing of the Braves on Tuesday, scoring 11 runs in the first five innings as three Cardinals slugged homers and outfielder Marcell Ozuna set the tone with a three-run, first-inning blast.
Ozuna went 3-for-28 on the Cardinals’ seven-game homestand that ended Sunday, but belted his 12th homer of the season - the 14th in 82 career games against the Braves - and finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs on Tuesday. Atlanta won the final three games of a 10-game road trip entering Tuesday but was throttled in the series opener for 14 hits as starter Mike Foltynewicz struggled for the fourth time in four starts this season. Utility player Johan Camargo went 1-for-3 off the bench to extend his hitting streak to four games in the loss, going 5-for-11 with four runs scored and three RBIs in that span. Charlie Culberson, who played first base Sunday as Freddie Freeman was out with an illness and replaced him in the sixth inning Monday, has four hits in six at-bats in the past two games.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (3-0, 5.35 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Soroka (3-1, 1.21)
Wacha began his season by allowing two earned runs in his first 11 2/3 innings and, despite giving up three earned runs or more in four of his next five starts, is unbeaten thanks in part to the Cardinals averaging 7.6 runs per game in his seven starts. The 27-year-old benefited from a 17-run outburst Thursday against Pittsburgh, giving up four runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings to get the victory, and he walked only one after issuing four walks in five innings on May 4 against the Chicago Cubs. Wacha is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta.
The 21-year-old Soroka continues establishing himself as one of the top young starters in the majors, giving up four earned runs (no more than one in any of his five starts) across 29 2/3 innings to begin the season. He received a no-decision Thursday at Arizona despite surrendering one run on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts over six innings - his third consecutive outing of six-plus innings. Soroka, who has hit five batters, has not allowed a home run in 50 innings (dating back to his major-league debut last season) and is 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 10 career big-league starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte left Tuesday’s game after three innings with lower back tightness.
2. St. Louis C Yadier Molina doubled in the first inning Tuesday, tying Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby for fifth all-time in franchise history with 367.
3. Cardinals RF Jose Martinez went 1-for-4 Tuesday, and St. Louis is 18-6 when he records at least one base hit.