Wacha looks to bounce back from first loss against team that gave it to him
Michael Wacha began last week's start against the Los Angeles Dodgers like he had so many of his others, keeping hitters off base and keeping the St. Louis Cardinals in line for a victory.
It took only one-third of an inning for that game to tilt in the Dodgers' favor.
Los Angeles is the only team to beat St. Louis in the regular season with Wacha on the mound since September, and it will look to do so again Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium.
The Cardinals (35-18) had won Wacha's previous 11 regular-season starts prior to Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Dodgers, with him going 7-0 with a 2.14 ERA in that span.
Wacha (7-1, 2.27 ERA) didn't allow a hit for 5 1/3 innings, then gave up three -- including a three-run homer to Yasmani Grandal -- and allowed a season high-tying four runs before recording just one more out and getting pulled.
The right-hander had last faced the Dodgers when he dominated them during two starts in the 2013 NL championship series, winning both while tossing 13 2/3 scoreless innings.
"It can happen quickly, for sure," said Wacha, who also walked a season-worst three. "Right out of the gate I felt really strong, really good with all my pitches. That one inning got away from me. I still felt strong out there."
Joc Pederson went 0 for 3 against Wacha on Saturday, marking the only game he's gone hitless while batting .366 over his last 10. He set a franchise record by homering in a fifth straight game Wednesday when he connected in the eighth inning of a 7-6 loss to Colorado.
Only 17 players have homered in six straight games, with Baltimore's Chris Davis being the last in 2012. Pederson's manager, Don Mattingly, shares the major league record with Pittsburgh's Dale Long (1956) and Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. (1993) by homering in eight straight in 1987.
The Dodgers (31-22) split four with Colorado after dropping two of three in St. Louis last week. They held a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth Wednesday before losing on a sacrifice fly -- the only out four relievers got in the inning.
Carlos Frias beat Wacha on Saturday by allowing an unearned run over seven innings, and he'll get the ball again in this contest.
Frias (4-2, 4.29) bounced back against the Cardinals after he gave up a career-worst 10 runs in four-plus innings of an 11-3 loss to San Diego on May 24.
"You put that one (against the Padres) away and get ready for the next start," Frias said. "I threw everything (Grandal) wanted me to."
That marked the right-hander's only career start against the Cardinals, who improved the majors' best record with Wednesday's 7-4 win over Milwaukee.
St. Louis' five-run first inning matched its run total from its previous four games. Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina had two hits apiece.
"That's what you talk about hopefully happening after you get a couple of days without any kind of buildup with our offense at all," Matheny said. "You look at our first eight batters, every one of them got a hit or did something situational to get a run in, and that's a great way to start your day."
The Cardinals are just 13-11 on the road despite outscoring opponents 95-70.
