Braves @ Cardinals

Who will WIN this matchup?

Atlanta Braves (54-54)

@ St. Louis Cardinals (53-54)

Starting Pitchers:

Toussaint (ATL): 1-2; 4.76 ERA

LeBlanc (STL) 0-1; 3.15 ERA

Current odds:

Atlanta Braves: (-115)

St. Louis Cardinals: (+105)

• The Atlanta Braves will attempt to climb over .500 for the first time this season on Thursday when they bid for a three-game sweep of their series against the host St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves posted a 6-1 victory on Tuesday and a 7-4 win on Wednesday. Those were their first back-to-back victories since a three-game winning streak ran July 7-10. Atlanta has been in win-one, lose-one mode since the All-Star break. Yet the Braves find themselves within 2 1/2 games of the first-place New York Mets in the National League East.

• Jorge Soler has belted homers in back-to-back games and Adam Duvall hit a two-run shot Wednesday. The Braves acquired those outfielders before the trade deadline as part of their offensive retooling.

• Meanwhile the Cardinals have lost four of their past six games to fall 11 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

• The Braves will turn to Touki Toussaint (1-2, 4.76 ERA) on Thursday. He has started three games since arriving from Triple-A Gwinnett, with the first two going quite well after he allowed two runs in 13 2/3 innings. Toussaint’s last outing wasn’t as promising. He allowed seven runs on six hits — including two homers — and two walks in 3 1/3 innings during a 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Toussaint is 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three career appearances against St. Louis, including one start. In his limited exposure to the Cardinals, he has allowed homers by Harrison Bader and Matt Carpenter.

• The Cardinals will start their third consecutive veteran left-hander, Wade LeBlanc (0-2, 4.17). He moved from the bullpen to the rotation and went 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA in five July starts. He worked 5 2/3 innings in his most recent start, a 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Since then, fellow veteran lefties Jon Lester and J.A. Happ joined the starting rotation after arriving in trades. LeBlanc threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings in two relief appearances against the Braves when the teams met in June. He allowed just two hits and a walk in those outings. He is 0-4 with a 6.28 ERA in 12 career appearances against the Braves, including four starts. Freddie Freeman (4-for-8, two doubles) and Guillermo Heredia (3-for-6, homer) have fared well against him.