Wainwright (RHP) will be on the hill against the Mets, who have a 47-44 record against right-handed starting pitchers. The Mets allow 3.9 runs per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 5.8 runs per game during that span.
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The Mets finished 5-5 on this three-city, 10-game road trip, and head home for a 10-game homestand. But they must figure out some way to keep a beat-up rotation together.
New York Mets right fielder Jay Bruce (calf) is not in the lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
Lugo ultimately gave up two hits and three walks while striking out five over five innings in his second big league start.
If Matz is unable to return on Tuesday and Lugo can’t take his next turn, the Mets will nearly certainly have to find someone off the scrap heap to make a start.
“If anything were to happen, I guess that would be something to deal with in the off-season”, Cespedes said.
“I love how starting pitching set the tone”, Matheny said.
Unable to free himself from the most unforgiving month of his career, Wainwright left Thursday’s game with his team trailing, 7-0. He would hit his 25th in the ninth, and teammates Jedd Gyorko and Stephen Piscotty would hit homers in the ninth.
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright (9-7, 4.71) allowed four home runs in 6 2/3 innings July 27 and got a no decision in his lone appearance against the Mets this season. The 26-year-old rookie, in his second major-league start, issued a strategic walk to load the bases in the second inning and then struck out Wainwright to end the threat. Smoker was charged with two runs without recording an out. I understand that. However, with the “flow of motion” by Wainwright, he didn’t expect to have his glove held hostage underneath the runners foot. “It’s another game that we lose, that I start, and the offense scored some runs”. “I don’t know if we need to move him back, push him back or whatever it might be, but we need to consider certainly getting him some rest”.
Bruce left Wednesday’s 8-1 loss in the second inning after his calf flared up, but had hoped to play Thursday. James Loney finished with three hits for the Mets, who got two hits apiece from De Aza, Rivera, Flores and Asdrubal Cabrera.
The Cardinals are 67-59 and 29-35 at home. He’s traditionally struggled against NY, going 3-4 with a 5.17 ERA in 10 career outings.
Right-hander Erik Goeddel was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas.
The Cardinals hit four home runs to cut into the Mets lead.
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Matt Carpenter drove a ball to the center-field wall to start the first, but De Aza made a leaping grab to rob him of an extra-base hit.
