Preview: Cardinals at Pirates

[April 06, 2016]  Despite having the top starting rotation in the majors a year ago, the St. Louis Cardinals dipped into the free-agent waters to sign right-hander Mike Leake to a five-year contract worth $80 million. Leake will make his debut with his new club and try to help the Cardinals avoid a three-game sweep in Wednesday's series finale at the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Right fielder Gregory Polanco officially sign a five-year contract extension Tuesday and celebrated it with a pair of RBIs before scoring the winning run on Jordy Mercer's walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning. The Pirates received six scoreless frames from their bullpen and three hits from star center fielder Andrew McCutchen in their eighth one-run decision since the start of last season versus St. Louis. As good as Pittsburgh's relievers were, the Cardinals were even better with 18 consecutive batters retired before Polanco ignited the winning rally. Second baseman Jedd Gyorko, another offseason acquisition for St. Louis, clubbed a two-run homer in Tuesday's 6-5 loss.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), ROOT (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Mike Leake (2015: 11-10, 3.70 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Juan Nicasio (2015: 1-3, 3.86)

Leake was 7-1 over his final 11 starts with Cincinnati last season but won only twice in his final nine outings after he was shipped to San Francisco at the trade deadline. The 28-year-old compiled a stellar spring training with St. Louis, posting a 2.25 ERA in five starts. Leake was 2-0 with six runs allowed in four starts versus the Pirates in 2015 to improve to 8-3 with a 3.01 ERA against them, but he has been tormented by ex-Cardinal David Freese, who is 8-for-16 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs versus him.

Nicasio, a starter in his first three seasons with Colorado, spent 2015 in the bullpen with the Los Angeles Dodgers before earning a spot in the rotation with a spectacular spring training. Nicasio, who suffered a fractured neck when he took a line drive off the head as a rookie in 2011, did not allow a run in 15 innings while striking out 24 and walking only five. The 29-year-old Dominican has made six appearances (two starts) against St. Louis and has been tagged for 11 runs and 19 hits over 13 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals RHP Seung-hwan Oh, a rookie from South Korea, has five strikeouts in two innings in his first two appearances.

2. Polanco is 3-for-6 in the first two games after batting .378 (28-for-74) against St. Louis in 2015.

3. Cardinals backup C Brayan Pena had surgery Tuesday to remove cartilage from his left knee and could miss one month.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 3, Pirates 2

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