Cards' Sonny Gray looks to continue torrid stretch vs. Pirates

In a season full of disappointment for the St. Louis Cardinals, Sonny Gray is beginning to meet the expectations that came shortly after he signed a three-year, $75 million contract.

Gray (13-9, 3.75 ERA) has allowed just three runs on nine hits over 19 innings in his past three starts. The right-hander struck out 20 batters and walked only three during that span.

Gray will try to extend his strong finish Wednesday when the Cardinals face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third contest of a four-game series in St. Louis.

The Cardinals (76-75) recorded a 4-0 win on Monday night and a 3-1 victory on Tuesday.

In July, Gray posted a 6.75 ERA over a span of four starts. Since then, he has allowed two runs or fewer in six of eight starts.

"It's about trusting your work and not getting caught up in knowing that even when I was struggling, a lot of it was just one (poor) inning or one mistake," Gray said. "It's about continuously adapting pitch usage, pitch location and pitch selection. It's about adapting at all times. That will never stop if you want to continue to be good.

"And sometimes it's just about getting out of my own way and letting others help."

Gray retired the first 15 batters he faced in his most recent start, a 6-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

"I felt like I was really close to being really, really good," Gray said after that game. "I'm happy with the overall performance and the adjustments I was able to make. But, still, I feel like I'm really close to being really good."

Gray earned a 4-2 victory over the Pirates on June 12. He held them to one run on four hits in seven innings while striking out nine and walking one.

He is 5-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 11 career outings against Pittsburgh, including 10 starts.

The Pirates (71-80) have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Wednesday's game.

During its last rotation spin, Pittsburgh turned to right-hander Luis Ortiz (6-6, 3.45) in this slot. But in his most recent start, Ortiz allowed seven runs (four earned) on five hits -- including two homers -- in four innings of an 8-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

Ortiz made one relief appearance against the Cardinals on July 2, striking out four batters in two innings while allowing one run on three hits. He did not record a decision in that game, however he is 0-2 with a 14.63 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) versus St. Louis.

The Pirates have plugged infield/outfield prospect Nick Yorke into the lineup as they continue to build for next season and beyond. He started at second base in the first two games of this series and delivered his first three big-league hits Tuesday.

"What I want to do the most is just help out wherever I can," Yorke said after getting his first call-up. "Whether it's, you know, on defense, on whatever position they want me to play, you know, at the dish, whatever it is. I just want to help."

Infielder/outfielder Oneil Cruz was out of the starting lineup Tuesday for the second straight game while resting his sore ankle. Michael A. Taylor started in center field in his place, but Cruz came off the bench as a pinch-hitter.

Reliever Kyle Nicolas also was ruled out of Tuesday's game with back soreness. He exited Monday night's game after facing one batter.

"I think we'll have a better idea in the next 24 hours," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Tuesday. "He's still a little bit sore today, so we're still evaluating him."

--Field Level Media