Marlins at Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals look to record their third straight series victory and continue rising in the National League Central when they host the Miami Marlins on Thursday for the finale of their four-game set. Paul Goldschmidt belted a walk-off solo homer in the 11th inning to give the Cardinals a 2-1 victory on Wednesday - their seventh win in 10 contests that kept them two games back in the division standings.
Dexter Fowler has collected 10 RBIs in his last six games after delivering a run-scoring single on Wednesday and Matt Carpenter has gone 4-for-10 with three walks in the series for St. Louis, which is 4-2 against Miami this season. Veteran Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the Cardinals on Thursday opposite Zac Gallen, who will be making his first major-league start after dominating at the Triple-A level this year. The Marlins have lost 10 of their last 13 contests following a four-game winning streak after managing just five hits in Wednesday’s setback, with Miguel Rojas leading the way with a double and a single. Harold Ramirez was 8-for-15 before going hitless in four at-bats in the latest loss for Miami while Curtis Granderson recorded a double in two at-bats after going 2-for-29 in his previous nine contests.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Zac Gallen (ML Debut) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (5-6, 4.46 ERA)
Gallen begins his major-league career against the team that selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft before trading him in the deal involving Marcell Ozuna in December 2017. The 23-year-old University of North Carolina product has posted a 9-1 record and 1.77 ERA in 14 starts with Triple-A New Orleans this year, registering 112 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings. Gallen went 8-9 with a 3.65 ERA in 25 turns with New Orleans in 2018.
Wainwright is expected to return to the rotation Thursday after missing 11 days with a hamstring injury and make his 299th career start. The 37-year-old native of Georgia has recorded just two wins in his last seven turns, permitting three runs or fewer in four of those outings. Rojas is 2-for-3 against Wainwright, who is 6-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 career appearances (10 starts) versus the Marlins.
WALK-OFFS
1. Marlins OF Cesar Puello, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations, went 0-for-1 in his team debut on Wednesday.
2. The Cardinals may activate INF Yairo Munoz from the paternity list for Thursday’s contest.
3. Miami 1B-RF Garrett Cooper, who is riding an 11-game hitting streak, was a late scratch on Wednesday due to a sore left triceps.