After struggling a bit in his last outing, Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy will need to get back to two of his strengths Saturday while avoiding damage in another area of strength.
McGreevy starts Saturday at 5:40 p.m. in the second of three in Cincinnati vs. the Reds. The Cardinals won 7-5 in 10 innings to open the series on Friday.
The right-hander McGreevy (5-2, 4.43 ERA) gave up four earned runs last time out as he struggled with pitch grips and control, leading to a season-worst two home runs allowed.
The pair of homers matched what he had allowed in his previous five starts combined. He leads Cardinals starters with 0.94 homers allowed per nine innings.
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With a 3.4% walk rate since the All-Star break, McGreevy ranks third-best among qualified starters. But he walked a season-worst-tying two batters Monday after issuing two free passes total in his previous four starts.
Those struggles snapped McGreevy's streak of three straight quality starts. He has been the Cardinals' most valuable starter since the break by a significant margin.
McGreevy's most impactful pitch this season has been his sinker. But he'll have to deploy that pitch skillfully against the Reds, who, despite being sub-par offensively overall, have the fourth-best batting average against sinkers in baseball.
The Reds will start left-hander Andrew Abbott (8-4, 2.62 ERA). He has a 0.82 ERA vs. the Cardinals in two starts this season.
Since the break, the Cardinals are second-best offensively vs. lefties by Fangraphs weighted runs created plus. That comes with the caveat that they've taken the second-fewest plate appearances vs. left-handers in that time.
The Cardinals are 67-69 and 6 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot. The Reds are 68-67 and just ahead of the Cardinals in that race.
How to watch Cardinals at Reds
When:Â 5:40 p.m. Saturday
Where:Â Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati
TV/radio: FanDuel ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Network Midwest (); KMOX (1120 AM and 104.1 FM), other stations in the as well as .
Your options to watch: Input your ZIP code and see your choices for watching Cardinals games.
Lineups
CARDINALS
1. Masyn Winn, SS
2. Iván Herrera, DH
3. Lars Nootbaar, LF
4. Willson Contreras, 1B
5. Jordan Walker, RF
6. Nolan Gorman, 3B
7. Thomas Saggese, 2B
8. Pedro Pagés, C
9. Nathan Church, CF
P:Â Michael McGreevy, RHP
REDS
1. TJ Friedl, CF
2. Noelvi Marte, RF
3. Elly De La Cruz, SS
4. Miguel Andujar, DH
5. Gavin Lux, LF
6. Spencer Steer, 1B
7. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
8. Jose Trevino, C
9. Matt McLain, 2B
P:Â Andrew Abbott, LHP
Injury report
John King, LHP (mid-back strain): King’s back injury is believed to be related to the left oblique strain that landed him on the IL near the end of July and kept him sidelined through the first three weeks of August. King tried throwing before Tuesday’s game and felt discomfort and underwent imaging. A timeline for his recovery could become clearer later this week, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said, but King said he believes the injury wouldn’t sideline him through the rest of the season. Updated Aug. 28
Nolan Arenado, 3B (right shoulder strain): Arenado is set to return to St. Louis “over the next week†and be reevaluated by team doctors to determine the next steps in his recovery from a right shoulder strain. He has been going through fielding workouts with limited throwing in Jupiter, Florida. And he’s progressed to taking swings, throwing and going through baseball activities on back-to-back days. His timeline for rehab games and a return is likely to be set after team doctors evaluate him in St. Louis. Updated Aug. 30
Alec Burleson, 1B/OF (right wrist pain):Â Burleson went on the 10-day injured list Friday with persisting pain and inflammation in his right wrist. Burleson received an anti-inflammatory injection in the joint that was going to require at least 48 hours of inactivity, and the Cardinals did not want to play short through the coming week. Updated Aug. 29
Brendan Donovan, 2B (sprained toe/left groin): An injury sustained before the All-Star break persists and is likely contributing to soreness in his leg and groin, the infielder said recently. The Cardinals placed him on the 10-day injured list Aug. 18 retroactive to Aug. 15. He’s begun hitting off a tee, taken swings through soft toss, and reportedly felt progress in his groin. As of Wednesday, Donovan was continuing to make progress toward a point where he’s free of pain. There is no timetable for his injury recovery. Updated Aug. 27
Yohel Pozo, C (concussion protocols): Pozo took a foul ball off the helmet during Thursday’s game. He was able to finish the game, but on Friday he entered concussion protocols and went on the seven-day concussion IL. The Cardinals expect him to return after the week. Updated Aug. 30
Victor Scott II, CF (sprained left ankle): Scott started his rehab assignment Friday night with Class AA Springfield and went 0 for 3 as the S-Cards' center fielder. He sprained his ankle Aug. 16 while trying to rob a home run from Aaron Judge. He could return as soon as Monday, when rosters expand to 28 players. Updated Aug. 30
Zack Thompson, LHP (shoulder, lat strain): Lefty starter remains on a throwing program in Jupiter, trying to overcome some setbacks as he increased the intensity of his throws through the course of the season. He's visited St. Louis for evaluation to monitor if the injury worsens. Thompson has been sidelined since the start of March and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in early April. There is no timetable for his return to the mound. Updated Aug. 6
