The set-up: The Cards head to Cincinnati for a three-game weekend series with the Reds, off a 2-1 setback at Milwaukee on Thursday. It marked St. Louis' fourth loss in seven games and drops the Cards 4 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central. The cellar-dwelling Reds dropped a 6-0 decision to Pittsburgh on Thursday for their 15th loss in 20 games, leaving them 44-64 on the season, better than only the Giants and the Phillies in the entire NL.

The pitching matchup: Mike Leake (7-9 & 3.29 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis and Asher Wojciechowski (1-1 & 4.50 ERA) for Cincinnati. Leake had a strong start to the 2017 season (5-2 with a 1.92 ERA thru May 24) but owns a 2-7 mark since May 29 over 12 starts (Cards are 4-8) and is 0-4 with a 4.79 ERA in seven career starts against a Cincinnati (teams are 0-7!), a club with which he spent parts of six seasons. Wojciechowski has assumed a spot in the rotation in place of the struggling Tim Adleman, who has been moved to the bullpen. "Just wanted to get a different look," Reds manager Bryan Price told reporters of the 28-year-old Wojciechowski receiving Friday's start. "... The one thing that we really want to see is some evolution." Wojciechowski has allowed just one run on four hits and struck out 17 over six relief appearances since his return from Triple-A on July 2. Wojciechowski has one career start vs. the Cards (0-1 & 3.00 ERA / team is 1-0).

The pick: Leake's season has crumbled and the fact that he's made seven career starts against the Reds with his teams going 0-7, hardly gives one confidence he can get things turned around here. As for Wojciechowski, his career ERA over 17 major league appearances (seven starts) is 5.36. Make the Over an 8* play.