St. Louis @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2015 ) San Francisco 3, St. Louis 4

The San Francisco Giants continue their difficult stretch against the best teams in the National League Central when they host the first-place St. Louis Cardinals on Friday in the opener of a three-game series. San Francisco sits 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West after taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs - including a 9-1 victory Thursday - as they rebounded from a 2-5 trip to St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

Injuries continue to plague the Giants as shortstop Brandon Crawford missed the last two games after leaving Tuesday's contest with an oblique injury - the same ailment that has right fielder Hunter Pence on the disabled list until at least Wednesday. St. Louis (82-45) continues to set the pace with the best record in baseball after finishing off a four-game sweep in Arizona with a 5-3 victory Thursday and maintained its 4 1/2-game lead over Pittsburgh. Closer Trevor Rosenthal on Thursday earned his 41st save - tied for the major league lead with the Pirates' Mark Melancon - before flying back to St. Louis to be with his wife, who will be induced into labor Friday, and is expected to rejoin the team Monday. The Cardinals' Michael Wacha attempts to join San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner and the Cubs' Jake Arrieta as the only 16-game winners in baseball and opposes Mike Leake, who returned strong after missing three starts because of a hamstring injury.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (15-4, 2.80 ERA) vs. Giants RH Mike Leake (9-6, 3.44)
Wacha is 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his last five starts after allowing one run and five hits in six innings of a 10-3 victory in San Diego on Sunday. The 24-year-old Iowa native's only "blemish" during that span was when he earned a no-decision against San Francisco, permitting one run and six hits while striking out six in seven innings of St. Louis' 2-1 victory Aug. 17. Newly acquired Giants outfielder Marlon Byrd struggles against Wacha (0-for-13, four strikeouts).
Leake received a no-decision after allowing one hit - a home run to Jung Ho Kang - and striking out six in six innings of San Francisco's 3-2 loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The 27-year-old San Diego native and No. 8 overall pick by Cincinnati in the 2009 draft has permitted three runs in 12 1/3 innings in his two starts with the Giants since being acquired from the Reds. Leake, no stranger to the Cardinals from his days in the NL Central, is 5-7 with a 4.34 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) against them and fares well against Jhonny Peralta (2-for-20, six strikeouts), Matt Carpenter (7-for-30) and Yadier Molina (7-for-30).

WALK-OFFS
1. St. Louis CF Jon Jay, who hasn't played since June 30 (wrist), will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
2. San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt on Thursday went 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored to end his 10-game home hitting streak and is batting .380 with 14 RBIs in his last 20 contests at AT&T Park, where the Giants have won 15 of their last 18 games.
3. Cardinals LF Brandon Moss hit the go-ahead two-run homer Thursday after recording only eight hits in his first 49 at-bats with St. Louis, which has won five straight.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 3, Giants 2