Preview: Blue Jays at Cardinals (Game 2)

[April 27, 2017]  SportsDirect Inc.

St. Louis Cardinals veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright benefited from a loud offensive performance in his last outing to help silence the critics after a tough start to the season. Fresh off belting a homer and driving in four runs, Wainwright will look to either swing a hot bat or silence those of the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday when the clubs play the second contest of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium.

Wainwright launched a two-run homer to the upper deck in left field in Friday's 6-3 win over Milwaukee to help him snap a three-game losing skid. He will face a Toronto offense that entered the series ranked 29th in the majors in scoring before squeezing out a 6-5 victory in 11 innings Tuesday night. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons elected to give catcher Russell Martin the start at third base to help his beleaguered offense and saw the winning run scored by pitcher Marcus Stroman after he delivered a pinch-hit double. The series-opening win put Toronto in position to post back-to-back victories for the first time this season, although the threat of severe weather on Wednesday brought about both a quick postponement and the announcement of the day/night doubleheader.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet360 (Toronto), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Casey Lawrence (0-2, 7.56 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (1-3, 6.27)

Making his first major-league start, Lawrence was rocked by a grand slam from Andrelton Simmons in the third inning before ultimately recording the loss in a 5-4 setback to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. The 29-year-old allowed five runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 frames before exiting after 97 pitches. Lawrence walked just three batters on Saturday after issuing five free passes in two combined innings against Tampa Bay on April 8-9.

His hot bat notwithstanding, Wainwright benefited from striking out a season-high nine in five innings to subdue the Brewers. The 35-year-old kept the ball in the park after surrendering two homers among 10 hits in a 9-3 setback to the New York Yankees on April 16. Wainwright also struggled in his lone career outing versus Toronto, as he was taken deep three times in four innings of a 5-0 loss on June 24, 2010.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 3B Jedd Gyorko is 9-for-16 with three doubles, a triple and a homer during a four-game hitting streak.

2. Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista entered the series batting .129 with 26 strikeouts, but had a pair of hits and an RBI single.

3. Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter served a one-game suspension for making contact with an umpire Sunday versus Milwaukee.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Blue Jays 2

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