Ex-Cards RHP Michael Wacha leads Royals into showdown

Michael Wacha will look to record his second win over his former team in a month on Saturday when the host Kansas City Royals bid to salvage a split of their two-game series versus the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Wacha (8-6, 3.55 ERA) spent his first seven seasons with St. Louis before pitching for five different teams over the last five years. The 33-year-old right-hander said he isn't short on motivation in facing the Cardinals.

"There's definitely a little something extra, you know, coming from them and spending that many years with them," Wacha said, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "As far as preparation goes and getting ready for the start, I try to just treat it just like I would any other start."

Wacha allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits over five innings in Kansas City's 8-5 victory in St. Louis on July 10. He is 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals.

Wacha's immediate task will be to tread carefully around Willson Contreras. The latter belted a pair of two-run homers on Friday night, slugging St. Louis to its third win in four games.

Alec Burleson also went deep and joined Contreras and Brendan Donovan with three-hit performances in the series opener. Rookie Victor Scott II added a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning.

"I'm definitely super excited that I could impact the ball, move some things around, be able to create a win here," Scott told Bally Sports Midwest.

Kansas City's Michael Massey drove in a pair of runs to highlight his three-hit effort. The Royals, however, received little from their Nos. 2-5 hitters -- a combined 1-for-17 with five strikeouts -- and were unable to hold a two-run lead en route to falling for the third time in four games.

Salvador Perez had the lone hit of that group with an RBI single in the third inning. He belted a homer in each of the previous two games against St. Louis this season.

Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante (4-6, 4.43) is slated to start on Saturday.

Pallante fell to 0-3 over his last five outings on Monday after permitting five runs on as many hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 6-0 setback to the New York Mets. The 25-year-old's place in the starting rotation is tenuous at best with righty Lance Lynn working his way back from a right knee injury. Lynn is eligible to come off the injured list on Wednesday.

"Try and not think about that," Pallante said. "I told them when I have a start against a team, I'm going to be ready to start against that team. So, it was just going out there and trying to execute pitches as good as I can."

Pallante also tasted defeat against Kansas City on July 10, yielding four runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He is 0-1 with a 6.48 ERA in two career encounters (one start) with the Royals.