Philadelphia @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 21, 2014 ) Philadelphia 1, St. Louis 4

Even though their offense is still running in the mud, the St. Louis Cardinals can salvage a split of a four-game series when they host the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals snapped a three-game losing streak with Saturday's 4-1 victory, but they managed only five hits in the contest and have accumulated 16 in the first three games of the series. Michael Wacha will skip his scheduled start as the team looks to limit his innings.

The Phillies piled up 30 runs in winning the first five on their seven-game road trip before they were shut down by St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright on Saturday. Ryan Howard and Marlon Byrd each had five-game hitting streaks halted by Wainwright, a span in which the duo combined for five homers and 14 RBIs. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins is riding a 15-game hitting streak, although his batting average has barely moved in that stretch, rising from .246 to .247.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Kyle Kendrick (3-6, 3.97 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Carlos Martínez (0-3, 4.19)

Kendrick is coming off his best back-to-back performances of the season, allowing a combined three earned runs over 13 innings to post victories over Atlanta and San Diego. Kendrick also kept the ball in the park in both outings after surrendering 10 home runs in his previous 11 starts. He has enjoyed success against the Cardinals, logging a 5-2 record with a 2.90 ERA in 10 appearances (eight starts).

Martinez will make his second consecutive spot start after coming out of the bullpen in his first 30 appearances this season. The 22-year-old Dominican pitched a season-high four innings in place of Wainwright on Monday, allowing one unearned run and two hits versus the New York Mets. Martinez permitted four walks and threw 59 pitches against the Mets - 31 for strikes.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 1B Matt Adams is 1-for-13 in his last four games, but has eight RBIs in nine games since coming off the disabled list.

2. Rollins has only one hit in each game during his streak and is one shy of matching Ted Sizemore (16 games) for the longest string with exactly one hit since 1900.

3. Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter, who led the majors with 55 doubles in 2013, has 17 this season and only one in the past 14 games.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Phillies 3