Reds 1 - 2 Cardinals
Final
  for this game

Wainwright seeks to rebound and keep Cards in win column

Apr 19, 2015 - 2:31 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Adam Wainwright hopes to bounce back from a rare bad start on Sunday when the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals try to complete a three- game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium.

After tossing seven scoreless innings to beat the Chicago Cubs, Wainwright was defeated by Milwaukee on Monday, as he allowed five runs (3 earned) and eight hits in seven innings to raise his ERA to 2.08.

The right-hander has faced the Reds 22 times (17 starts) and is 7-9 against them with a 4.40 ERA. He's also lost four straight home starts to them.

St. Louis won its fourth straight game on Saturday, as Carlos Martinez tossed six solid innings of one-run ball and the Cardinals rolled, 5-2.

Martinez (1-0), who threw just 86 pitches, scattered three hits and walked two while striking out four for the Cardinals, who have won six of their last seven games. Jason Heyward smacked a solo homer in the triumph.

"I tried to limit my pitches so I could last longer," Martinez said.

Trevor Rosenthal blanked the Reds in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season.

Homer Bailey's (0-1) 2015 debut didn't go as planned for the Reds. The flamethrower allowed five runs on nine hits and three walks over 5 2/3 frames. Bailey opened up the season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery back in September to repair the flexor mass tendon in his right elbow.

"Early on, I felt I made some pretty good pitches that got hit," Bailey said. "It does feel good to get back out there."

Cincy has dropped six of its last seven contests.

Hoping to reverse their fortunes on Sunday will be righty Mike Leake, who hasn't recorded a decision in his two starts this season. Leake's latest effort came on Monday in Chicago, as the Cubs managed four runs and seven hits off of him in seven innings of a 7-6 loss.

Leake is 4-6 in 14 games (13 starts) versus the Cards with a 5.00 ERA.

The Cardinals were 12-7 versus the Reds last season






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