(SportsNetwork.com) - Adam Wainwright will try to become the National League's first 12-game winner when he leads the St. Louis Cardinals into the opener of a four-game series versus the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday night.
Wainwright is 11-4 with a 1.89 earned run average and has won three of his last four starts, including last Wednesday's 2-0 win at San Francisco. He tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings and scattered four hits. Wainwright has given up just two runs in his last four starts.
The right-hander has faced the Pirates plenty of times in his career, going 10-5 with a 4.40 ERA in 24 games (20 starts).
St. Louis could use some solid pitching right now and lost two of three games versus the Miami Marlins this weekend. In Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Marlins, Kolten Wong homered and scored twice and Matt Adams supplied a career-high four hits. Marco Gonzales was tagged with the loss in his third career start after giving up just one run on seven hits and five walks across 4 2/3 frames.
"We can't dictate where the ball is going once we make contact. All we can do is stick with our approach," said Adams.
Pittsburgh will begin a seven-game road trip Monday against St. Louis and Cincinnati, and swept Philadelphia in three games this past weekend.
The Pirates won for the 12th time in 15 tries with Sunday's 6-2 victory over the Phillies, as Jeff Locke tossed eight solid innings and gave up two runs -- one earned -- on three hits.
"Fantastic effort from Jeff today," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Outstanding effort, really good."
Russell Martin knocked in two runs and scored a run for Pittsburgh, which went 8-2 during a 10-game homestand. Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Jordy Mercer added an RBI apiece.
The Pirates (47-41) moved a season-high six games over .500 and swept the Phillies in Pittsburgh for the first time since April 19-21, 2002.
Charlie Morton will try to keep the momentum going for the Pirates when he takes the mound Monday. Morton is 5-9 with a 3.30 earned run average and is 4-2 in his last six starts.
Morton has struggled in his career against the Cardinals, going 2-10 with a 6.11 ERA in 15 career starts.
Pittsburgh is 5-4 against St. Louis this season.