Reds at Cardinals (Game 1)
It will be an exceptionally busy weekend at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where the Cardinals play consecutive doubleheaders against the Cincinnati Reds, beginning with the first twinbill Saturday. The teams were already expected to play a doubleheader Saturday but will now add another pair of games Sunday after Friday's affair was rained out.
"I mean it is what it is," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told reporters of the situation before referencing roster expansion Sunday, which will help the teams navigate the difficult stretch. "We'll get a couple more pitchers on Sunday. Potentially have another guy tomorrow. I think either way you're looking at a lot of games in a short period of time." St. Louis had a six-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in Milwaukee and enters the weekend with a one-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Friday's scheduled starters - Trevor Bauer of the Reds and Dakota Hudson of the Cardinals - square off in the opener Saturday. Michael Wacha carries a stellar 12-2 record with a 2.83 ERA in his career against the Reds and will try to improve upon those numbers when he starts the nightcap opposite Sonny Gray.
TV: 1:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Trevor Bauer (10-11, 4.34 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Dakota Hudson (13-6, 3.47)
Bauer has battled inconsistency since being acquired from Cleveland and was ripped for eight runs - seven earned - on eight hits and two walks over three innings at Pittsburgh on Sunday. The UCLA product has failed to complete five frames in three of his five starts with the Reds and is 1-3 with a 7.62 ERA since joining the team. Bauer has made one career start against the Cardinals, settling for a no-decision despite allowing just one run and registering 10 strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings while with the Indians.
Hudson did not allow a run in any of his last three starts and surrendered a total of seven hits while striking out 13 batters over 18 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old has permitted more than three earned runs in just two of his 27 games this season and did not yield a home run in any of his last five turns. Hudson is 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in three starts against Cincinnati in 2019, with one of the wins coming at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals 2B Kolten Wong is 6-for-9 with a home run and two doubles during a three-game hitting streak.
2. Reds RF Aristides Aquino is 5-for-9 with two homers and six RBIs over his last two games.
3. Both teams also play day games Monday, giving them five first pitches in a span of roughly 49 hours.