Cardinals Share Pitching Plan for Doubleheader Against Reds

The left-hander has made one major league appearance this season, starting once. He enters Monday with an 0-1 record, a 3.60 ERA, three strikeouts and a 1.80 WHIP across five innings.

Pallante will handle the second game after establishing himself as a regular member of the Cardinals' rotation. The right-hander is 12-6 with a 3.46 ERA, 92 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP across 130 innings and 23 starts.

The doubleheader comes after St. Louis defeated the Chicago Cubs 11-4 Sunday. That victory moved the Cardinals to 63-61, leaving them 13.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

St. Louis remains involved in a competitive Wild Card race, making the two games against Cincinnati important as the club tries to gain ground during the final stretch of the season.

Using Mathews as the 27th man also gives the Cardinals an opportunity to protect their bullpen during a demanding stretch. The temporary roster exemption allows the club to add pitching for the doubleheader without disrupting the rest of its roster.

With Mathews opening the day and Pallante scheduled for the nightcap, St. Louis has its doubleheader rotation clearly mapped out against Cincinnati.

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