First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: N/A, Total: N/A

Michael Pineda will be hoping to make yet another solid start when the Yankees host the Cardinals on Sunday.

The Cardinals are not off to the start they were hoping for this season, and they are going to need to turn things around pretty soon. While it’s obviously very early in the year, St. Louis plays in the same division as the Cubs. That means that any poor stretch of play can really bury them in the standings, and that is not what this team wants right now. For that reason, look for them to come out with tons of energy in this Sunday Night Baseball matchup. The Yankees are also going to be fired up for this one. This team has been rock solid to start the year, and they are definitely hoping to surprise people with a playoff berth this season. While they can’t earn a spot in the postseason right now, they will definitely be hoping to make a statement on Sunday night. The starting pitching matchup in this one will be interesting, as RHP Adam Wainwright (0-2, 7.00 ERA, 9 K) will be starting for St. Louis and RHP Michael Pineda (1-1, 3.97 ERA, 17 K) will be going for New York. The momentum for these guys could not possibly be more different, as Wainwright is coming off of a miserable start and Pineda just might be coming off of the best start of his career.

Adam Wainwright was terrible his last time out, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits in only 4.0 innings of work. If he cannot turn things around quickly then the Cardinals are going to get crushed on Sunday. The Yankees can really get it going offensively, so Wainwright must get into a groove this weekend. Offensively, 3B Jhonny Peralta and OF Dexter Fowler are the only Cardinals that have faced Pineda in their careers. There is no guarantee that either of them will be in the lineup for this game, but they are a combined 2-for-6 with two RBI against the righty. It’d be big if they both produced against him again on Sunday. Other guys to watch out for are SS Aledmys Diaz and C Yadier Molina. Both guys are off to hot starts offensively and should be able to get to Pineda in this one.

Michael Pineda is coming off of an incredible start, as the righty threw 7.2 innings of one-run ball against the Rays on Apr. 10. Pineda was perfect through seven innings in that game and also struck out 11 batters in that one. He’ll be hoping to come up big once again on Sunday but must make sure he is not hanging pitches over the plate too often. He also needs to do his best to close innings, which has been a problem for him in recent years. Offensively, DH Matt Holliday is one guy to watch out for in this game. He is going up against his former team, so he should be excited for this contest. 2B Starlin Castro could also come up big, as he is 10-for-40 with a double, a triple, and four RBI against Wainwright in his career.