MLB Game Preview - Miami at St. Louis

Wed Jun 19, 2019 8:15 PM EDT

It will be a homecoming for Miami Marlins right-hander Trevor Richards and an audition of sorts for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon.

Richards and Ponce de Leon will be the starting pitchers when the Cardinals host the Marlins on Wednesday in the third of a four-game series.

So far, both games in this series have been one-sided shutouts. St. Louis won 5-0 on Monday, and Miami returned the favor, prevailing 6-0 on Tuesday.

Miami ended an 18-inning scoring drought on Tuesday. Starlin Castro's solo homer in the fifth inning did the trick, and the Marlins added a two-run blast from Brian Anderson in the seventh. In the eighth, Miguel Rojas stroked an RBI double, and Garrett Cooper hit a run-scoring single as Miami enjoyed a rare rout.

On Wednesday, Richards (3-7, 3.68 ERA) will pitch inside Busch Stadium for just the second time in his brief career. A native of nearby Aviston, Ill., just 39 miles from St. Louis, Richards is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA at Busch. In two starts against the Cardinals overall, he is 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA.

This season, Richards got off to a poor start, going 0-4 with a 4.64 ERA in his first six starts. But he went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA in May and is 1-2 with 3.18 ERA in June.

"Get the fastball in better spots," Richards said when asked what he needs to do to improve against the Cardinals. "Just being able to locate, and I can work my changeup off of that. Keep mixing pitches."

Ponce de Leon, a 27-year-old native Californian, will be facing the Marlins for the first time.

He has taken a fascinating route to the majors, getting drafted four times -- out of high school by the Tampa Bay Rays; out of Cypress College by the Cincinnati Reds; out of the University of Houston by the Chicago Cubs; and out of Embry Riddle by the Cardinals.

He has gone 15-8 in Triple A since 2017 and was 0-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 11 appearances, including four starts, last year in his first shot at the majors. This year, he is 0-0 with a 2.00 ERA in two appearances, both starts.

Once Adam Wainwright returns from the injured list -- which is expected to happen on Thursday -- the Cardinals may have to choose between Michael Wacha and Ponce de Leon for the remaining spot in the rotation.

The Cardinals are 3-2 against the Marlins this year. The only two losses for St. Louis came against rookie Jordan Yamamoto, who has pitched 14 scoreless innings against the Cardinals, including seven frames on Tuesday.

Certainly, the Cardinals are frustrated, but they also remain steadfast that they can get back on track.

"We have good hitters here," Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter said. "We're looking for everybody to catch fire."

Cardinals infielder Jedd Gyorko, who was supposed to be reinstated from the injured list on Tuesday, may not be able to help on Wednesday. He is suffering from a strained lower back, and his return date is uncertain.

For the Marlins, Cooper has been on a hot streak in June, batting .390 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 15 games.

--Field Level Media