St. Louis @ Cincinnati Game Overview

With a split doubleheader on tap between the National League Central rivals on Wednesday, Hays' availability for either game was not immediately known.

Reds manager Terry Francona revealed Hays received an MRI for a "tender" hamstring on Tuesday, one day after the slugger sprinted from first base to home plate during the sixth inning of Cincinnati's 3-1 victory.

Hays is batting a robust .365 to go along with five homers, 13 RBIs and 15 runs in 13 games this season.

Noelvi Marte went 1-for-2 with an RBI triple and two walks in the series opener, helping Cincinnati win a season-best fifth game in a row.

The third baseman is 16-for-34 (.471) with 16 RBIs in his past eight games.

Marte started the season at Triple-A Louisville with Francona indicating that he would have to earn his way back onto the major league roster.

After batting .353 through nine games for Louisville, Marte was called up, but he was sent back down after going 1-for-6 in three major league games.

A few days later, the Reds promoted Marte again, and he took over as the regular third baseman on April 18.

"He's been a good worker, and he was the same worker when we sat him down in spring training, which is always a good sign," Francona said. "And like hitting, he's moving his feet better at third, which is good offensively. You could tell he feels good because he's swinging hard. But he's also not just abandoning that right-center approach, which I think really keeps him balanced and staying through the ball."

The Cardinals are looking for any signs of hope on the road as they have started the season 2-12 away from St. Louis.

The Cardinals were victimized Monday by another aspect of Cincinnati's hot streak -- slick defense. Center fielder TJ Friedl robbed Nolan Gorman with a sliding catch in the fourth inning. In the fifth, catcher Jose Trevino threw out the lead runner at third for the first out and then McLain robbed Lars Nootbaar of an RBI single when he picked off a grounder and started an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

"You're hoping for a crooked number there, especially with the way (Nootbaar) has been swinging it at the top of the lineup, if we get those guys over and get them in," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "But that didn't happen."

St. Louis will send Miles Mikolas (0-2, 5.70 ERA) to the mound in the opener against Cincinnati's Brady Singer (4-0, 3.62) in a battle of right-handers. Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz (2-0, 1.80) will start the nightcap. The Reds are expected to start 22-year-old Chase Petty to make his major league debut against Matz.

Petty, 22, has made five starts at Louisville this season and is 0-2 with a 3.52 ERA. He has struck out 27 batters in 23 innings. MLB Pipeline ranks Petty as No. 99 on its list of Top 100 prospects.

Last Wednesday, Mikolas had his best outing of the young season, throwing six shutout innings, allowing six hits but receiving a no-decision in a 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals have lost all five of Mikolas' starts this year.

Mikolas, 36, is 5-8 with a 5.80 ERA in 21 career appearances (19 starts) against Cincinnati.

Singer, 28, has been the beneficiary of strong run support, as Cincinnati has posted 42 runs in his outings. Singer has started just once in his career against St. Louis, a loss on Sept. 22, 2020. He allowed three hits and three runs while walking five over three-plus innings.

Matz, 33, will make his second start of the season on Wednesday, having won the other one with five innings of one-run ball against the Houston Astros on April 16. He is 4-1 with a 4.40 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) vs. the Reds.

--Field Level Media