Cardinals @ Dodgers

Who will WIN this matchup?

St. Louis Cardinals (58-52)

@ Los Angeles Dodgers (74-40)

Starting Pitchers:

Wacha (STL): 6-4; 5.15 ERA

Gonsolin (LAD) 0-1; 5.63 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

St. Louis Cardinals: 5-5

Los Angeles Dodgers: 7-3

Current odds:

St. Louis Cardinals: (+140)

Los Angeles Dodgers: (-150)

• The Los Angeles Dodgers have not been stymied by an opponent very often en route to building the best record in the majors, but one such exception was an early series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers eye their first win of the season in five tries against the Cardinals when they host the opener of a three-game set on Monday. Los Angeles won eight of its first 10 contests before a visit to St. Louis from April 8-11 triggered a season-worst six-game slide that resulted in the last time the club sat at .500. The Dodgers (74-40) have rebounded nicely since then, own a 7 1/2-game lead over Atlanta for the best record in the National League and improved to a majors-best 43-15 at home following Sunday’s wild 11-10 victory over San Diego in which Max Muncy capped a 4-for-5, three-RBI effort with a walk-off, two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning.

• St. Louis (58-52) used a 12-3 spurt following the All-Star break to briefly pass the Chicago Cubs atop the NL Central, but finds itself 1 1/2 games out of the division race after dropping five of its last seven. The Cardinals hold a one-half game lead for the top wild card, but failed to improve their position over the weekend after getting swept in a two-game set at Oakland.

• Wacha is set to rejoin the rotation after his second stint in the bullpen this season – during which he went 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA after giving up 12 hits across 9 1/3 innings. The former NL Championship Series MVP is in the midst of his worst season as a pro, already having surrendered a career-high tying 19 home runs despite working only 85 2/3 innings. Wacha settled for a no-decision April 11 against the Dodgers after yielding seven runs – three homers – in 3 2/3 frames.

• Gonsolin will make only his third career big-league appearance after permitting one run en route to a four-inning save at Colorado on Tuesday. The 25-year-old’s major-league debut did not go nearly as well, as he was tagged for six runs (four earned) across four frames in a start at Arizona on June 26. Gonsolin owns a 19-14 record with a 3.39 ERA in 99 career minor-league appearances (38 starts) but has struggled at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, going 1-4 with a 4.95 ERA in 12 turns.

• The Dodgers rank second in the majors with an NL-high 190 homers and lead baseball with a 3.40 team ERA.

• St. Louis 3B Matt Carpenter (right foot contusion) returned to action Sunday following a 17-game absence and finished 1-for-5.

• Los Angeles INF/OF Kristopher Negron is 6-for-16 with two homers and five RBIs, and has hit safely in each of his five games since he was acquired from Seattle on July 28.