The set-up: St. Louis has won three in a row after last night's 5-3 win and are now tied with the Giants (both are 79-71) for the National League's second wild card spot (just one game back of the Mets, who hold down the No. 1 spot). Colorado was coming off a three-game home sweep of Padres over the weekend and have these two games remaining with the Cards before heading out on a seven-game road trip. The Rockies are going nowhere at 72-78 and the team's 40-36 record at Coors Field is hardly anything to be impressed with.

The pitching matchup: Adam Wainwright (11-9, 4.51 ERA) gets the ball for the Cards and Jorge De La Rosa (8-8, 5.22 ERA) will make his final start of the season for the Rockies. De La Rosa is in the second season of his two-year, $25 million contract and can be a free agent after the season. Most expect that he will leave Colorado next year. His start Tuesday will be De La Rosa's 200th with the Rockies. He is being dropped from the rotation after this outing, allowing German Marquez, a 21-year-old prospect, to make three starts. Wainwright's had an up-and-down season but is 8-1 with a 1.31 ERA in 13 games, including nine starts (Cards are 7-2), against the Rockies in his career.

The pick: De La Rosa is 7-3 with a 4.18 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cardinals (teams are 7-5) and that includes 4-0 with a 4.01 ERA in four starts against them at Coors Field. However, Wainwright is 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA in four games (three starts), at Coors Field. The Cards are fighting to be able to play beyond October 2 and I won't get sentimental over De La Rosa's last start as a Rockie. St. Louis is a 10* play.