(SportsNetwork.com) - Michael Wacha has pitched tremendously for the St. Louis Cardinals this season and looks to keep the momentum going Tuesday in the second test of a four-game series versus the Philadelphia Phillies.
Wacha has won his first three starts and has allowed one run in each outing for a sparkling 1.33 earned run average. He hurled seven innings of one-run ball in last Thursday's 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
The right-hander will make his second start at Busch Stadium this season and has never faced the Phillies.
St. Louis will hitch its wagon to Wacha now that ace Adam Wainwright is done for the season with a torn left Achilles. Wainwright was hurt in the fifth inning of Saturday's game against Milwaukee when he popped up and started to run toward first base.
"Unfortunate news, but not unexpected after what we saw on Saturday night," Cards general manager John Mozeliak said. "This is a fairly common injury that happens to people. But the most important part of these types of injuries is what happens after surgery. Everybody I've talked to from the medical world has just said to be patient, don't try to push it and allow it to have the proper time to heal."
The Cardinals opened an 11-game homestand with Monday's 4-1 setback to the Phillies and starter John Lackey was saddled with the loss for giving up three runs over seven innings. He allowed nine hits.
Matt Holliday drove in the lone run and Matt Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a run scored for St. Louis, which has lost two in a row after winning nine of 10.
Philadelphia has won two in a row and three of four games, and opened a 10- game trek on a positive note in the Gateway City.
Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels earned his first win of the season with seven solid innings. He gave up only a run and four hits with nine K's and four walks. Hamels had been 0-4 with a 3.23 ERA since Sept. 23, 2014.
"I think personal wins aren't something I really focus on that much," Hamels said. "It's more for the team."
Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
Ben Revere drove in two runs on a ground-rule double during a three-run seventh inning and Odubel Herrera added an RBI single in the frame. Herrera went 3-for-4 and Carlos Ruiz collected four hits and two runs scored.
Severino Gonzalez will make his major league debut for the Phillies Tuesday and went 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in three starts this season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Gonzalez, a right-hander, lasted at least five innings in each of his three outings with the IronPigs.
Philadelphia was 4-3 against St. Louis last season.
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