Pitching was vital to the St. Louis Cardinals winning 100 games and a third straight NL Central title last year. It's not going as smoothly on the mound in 2016, but Michael Wacha's latest effort provided a glimmer of hope.
After ace Adam Wainwright was battered for a second straight start, Wacha will try to continue his dominance of the Cincinnati Reds as the Cardinals try to take this three-game set Sunday.
St. Louis (6-5) led the majors with a 2.94 ERA last season, the franchise's lowest since a 2.