Reds at Cardinals (Game 2)
The Cincinnati Reds and host St. Louis Cardinals will try to muster some energy Sunday when they play their second straight doubleheader to finish off a busy weekend at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals took both meetings Saturday, cruising to a 10-6 triumph in the afternoon before rallying for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to steal the nightcap 3-2.
The doubleheader sweep left St. Louis with a 2 1/2-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League Central division crown. Kolten Wong went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBIs in Saturday's doubleheader for the Cardinals, while Tommy Edman was 4-for-8 and scored three times, including two of his team's three runs in the night game. Joey Votto slugged a solo homer for the Reds in the second game, improving to 5-for-16 with six runs scored over a four-game span. Tyler Mahle and Luis Castillo will be on the mound Sunday for Cincinnati opposite Miles Mikolas and Daniel Ponce de Leon, respectively, for the hosts.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (13-5, 3.21 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Daniel Ponce de Leon (1-1, 3.76)
Castillo is 2-1 over his last three starts despite giving up 14 runs in 16 1/3 innings. Included in the uneven stretch was a loss to the Cardinals at home Aug. 16 in which he was charged with a season-high eight runs in 4 1/3 frames. The Dominican Republic native is 2-4 with a 4.26 ERA in nine career starts against St. Louis but he owns a 2.38 mark in four outings at Busch Stadium.
Ponce de Leon is making his first appearance in the majors since he was rocked for five runs with four walks and no strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings against Houston on July 27. He went 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA in five August starts for Triple-A Memphis. The 27-year-old is 0-1 with a 2.61 mark through his first two career matchups with the Reds.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals OF Lane Thomas (wrist) was placed on the 10-day injured list and OF Tyler O'Neill (wrist) was activated from the IL.
2. Wong is 9-for-15 during a five-game hitting streak.
3. Suarez has five home runs over his last seven games.