Los Angeles @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( May 30, 2015 ) LA Dodgers 5, St. Louis 1

The Los Angeles Dodgers apparently got back the missing piece of their offense when Yasmani Grandal was activated from the seven-day concussion list. The Dodgers will try to ride the momentum from Grandal’s return to a series win when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals for the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.

Grandal slugged a tie-breaking three-run homer in a four-run sixth inning that sparked Los Angeles to a 5-1 victory Saturday. The Dodgers totaled two runs in dropping the previous two games and were shut out in Friday’s series opener. The Cardinals had a five-game winning streak come to an end with Saturday’s loss and are trying to prove they belong with the elite teams in baseball after dropping series to 2014 playoff teams Pittsburgh, Detroit and Kansas City this month. The St. Louis staff had a streak of six straight games allowing four or fewer runs come to an end Saturday and are looking to Sunday starter Carlos Martinez to turn things around.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), SportsNet Los Angeles

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Brett Anderson (2-2, 3.47 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (4-2, 3.54)

Anderson worked through back stiffness and tossed a season-high seven innings Monday against Atlanta, allowing two runs and seven hits without factoring in the decision. The Texas native yielded three or fewer earned runs in each of his last six starts. Anderson is making his first career start against St. Louis and is 1-2 with a 4.22 ERA in four road starts.

Martinez is coming off back-to-back scoreless outings after scattering five hits in seven innings against Arizona on Monday. The 23-year-old struck out 21 in 18 1/3 innings while walking six over his last three starts to pull out of a funk. Martinez is searching for his first win over Los Angeles and is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA in four career games – three starts – against the Dodgers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig (left hamstring) faced live pitching and did some running Saturday and could be ready for a rehab assignment this week.

2. The Cardinals will honor OF Oscar Taveras, who died in a car accident in the offseason, on Sunday to mark the one-year anniversary of his major-league debut.

3. St. Louis LF Matt Holliday missed Friday’s game and left early Saturday due to illness.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 3, Cardinals 1