San Diego @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 2, 2015 ) San Diego 5, St. Louis 3

After running roughshod over their opponents at Busch Stadium, the St. Louis Cardinals look to snap a three-game home losing skid on Friday when they continue their four-game series against the San Diego Padres. St. Louis, which dropped a 5-3 decision in 11 innings on Thursday, has mustered just five runs during its skid after outscoring its foes by a 30-9 margin while winning six in a row.

San Diego also struggled to score runs of late, getting shut out on back-to-back occasions before its eruption in the opener of a 10-game trek ended a three-game losing skid. Will Venable, who was mired in a 2-for-16 stretch in his previous six contests, provided the big blow by belting a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the 11th inning. Venable's performance spoiled yet another solid effort by Jason Heyward, who recorded his seventh multi-hit performance in his last 14 contests and is 8-for-20 with three runs scored during his five-game hitting streak. The Cardinals look to prevent a season-high losing skid on Friday while also denying the Padres from joining the Chicago White Sox and Detroit as the lone teams to win back-to-back games at Busch Stadium this season.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Andrew Cashner (3-9, 4.22 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (10-3, 2.77)

Cashner posted his first victory in exactly one month on Saturday when he allowed two runs and struck out six in seven innings of a 7-2 victory over Arizona. The 28-year-old has kept the ball in the park in his last two outings after failing to do so in each of his previous five trips to the mound. Cashner has faced St. Louis on six occasions, although he recorded his lone decision in a loss after yielding two runs on as many hits in two-thirds of an inning in relief.

Wacha has alternated wins and losses in each of his last seven outings, emerging on the positive side after permitting one run on six hits in as many innings of an 8-1 triumph over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. The 24-year-old has eclipsed the sum total in victories of his previous two seasons with his 10-win performance in 2015. Wacha, who has yet to face San Diego in his young career, has struck out 27 batters against five walks in his last four outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. St. Louis SS Jhonny Peralta has collected three multi-hit performances in his last four contests.

2. San Diego OF Melvin Upton Jr. recorded two hits in the series opener after going 1-for-12 in his previous eight games.

3. Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter had two hits in the series opener and is 24-for-61 (.393) with 14 RBIs in his career versus the Padres.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Padres 1