Cincinnati @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2012 ) Cincinnati 2, St. Louis 4

The St. Louis Cardinals can clinch a National League wild card berth by beating the Cincinnati Reds for the second consecutive night on Tuesday. The Cardinals are one win or one Los Angeles Dodgers loss away from returning to the postseason. The defending World Series champions have played superb baseball down the stretch and Monday’s victory was their 11th in 14 games. Cincinnati is tied with the Washington Nationals for best record in the National League.

Manager Dusty Baker was back in the dugout for the Reds after missing 11 straight games because of a minor stroke and irregular heartbeat. Cincinnati needs to finish ahead of Washington to claim the top seed because the Nationals won the season series. Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (groin) was in the lineup and had a run-scoring single one day after leaving a game early. St. Louis outfielder Carlos Beltran remains three short of his eighth 100-RBI campaign but has three homers in eight career at-bats against Reds starter Mat Latos.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Mat Latos (13-4, 3.52 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Chris Carpenter (0-1, 3.27)

Latos has won three straight decisions and his last loss came when he was roughed up by the Cardinals on Aug. 24. He gave up seven runs and nine hits in five innings and that was only his second-poorest outing against St. Louis this season. He gave up eight runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on April 18. Latos is 1-4 with a 10.24 ERA in six career starts against St. Louis. He is 0-2 with a 9.77 ERA in three starts this season.

Carpenter is making his third start since returning from major shoulder surgery. He has allowed two runs in each of his previous two outings. Carpenter has dominated Cincinnati over his career, compiling a 14-4 mark and 2.48 ERA in 23 starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto is batting .400 with two homers in 35 career at-bats against Carpenter.

2. Cardinals OF Matt Holliday had two hits Monday and is batting .345 against Cincinnati this season.

3. Reds OF Ryan Ludwick (groin) was in the starting lineup for the first time since Sept. 19 but left in the sixth inning during a double switch.
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