Giants at Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals will play their fifth game in roughly 50 hours when they follow up back-to-back doubleheaders with the opener of a four-game series against the visiting San Francisco Giants on Monday afternoon. The Cardinals swept two from the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday before splitting a pair with the Reds on Sunday, finishing the marathon weekend at Busch Stadium with a 5-3 loss in the nightcap.
The split left St. Louis with a three-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Harrison Bader went 3-for-7 with two RBIs and a run scored in Sunday's doubleheader and he is 12-for-33 with eight RBIs and eight runs scored during a 10-game hot stretch. He and his teammates will take aim in Monday's series opener at Tyler Beede, who starts for the Giants opposite Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright. San Francisco has dropped five of its last six and nine of 12 to sink seven games out of a wild-card spot in the NL.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tyler Beede (3-8, 5.56 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (9-9, 4.52)
Since spinning eight scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the New York Mets on July 19, Beede has struggled mightily. He is 0-5 with a 7.09 ERA in that stretch, although he was charged with only one earned run in 5 2/3 innings against Arizona last Monday. The 26-year-old will be making his first career start against the Cardinals.
Wainwright will be trying for the third time to reach 10 wins for the 10th time in his career after going 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA over his last two starts. He has issued seven walks with just six strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings in that stretch. The three-time All-Star is 6-7 with a 3.31 ERA in his career against the Giants.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Giants activated 3B Pablo Sandoval (elbow) from the 10-day injured list and called up four players from Triple-A Sacramento as part of the September roster expansion.
2. San Francisco CF Kevin Pillar reached the 20-homer mark for the first time with a two-run shot Sunday.
3. The Cardinals have won four straight meetings at home.