Justin Verlander (7-2, 3.02) vs. 
Adam Wainwright (6-4, 3.49), 8:15 p.m. EST
After a disappointing series loss in Pittsburgh over the weekend, the Tigers continue Interleague Play in St. Louis. (Are the Tigers allowed to play the Cardinals at Busch Stadium during the regular season? When's the last time that happened?)
For some more on the Cardinals, check out Will Leitch's column at Deadspin today. Cardinals Nation is preoccupied with the possibility of losing Albert Pujols. Tony LaRussa is ticked off with his front office for not getting better players to help Pujols. And if the team's not making an effort to win, both LaRussa and Pujols might decide to move on.
But let's talk about tonight's game. We have a match-up of pitching aces, facing two lineups struggling to score runs. So we should expect a good ol' slugfest, right?
Adam Wainwright leads the Cardinals' pitching staff in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. He opposes the Tigers for the first time since... striking out Brandon Inge to win the 2006 World Series. Wainwright picked up the win in his last start, despite giving up 11 hits in seven innings, thanks to a 13-run outburst from the Cards' offense. (Contrast that with Wainwright losing his previous outing, despite giving up only two runs and three hits to the Rockies.)
Justin Verlander was outstanding in his last start, allowing one run and six hits to a White Sox lineup that's knocked him around in the past. Was that his best game of the season? It's probably in the discussion. But the fact that it's difficult to say for sure indicates just how well Verlander has pitched this year. He's allowed one run in his last 17 innings. Verlander last faced the Cardinals in 2007, pitching eight innings while giving up two runs and five hits.
Here are tonight's starting lineups (with a pitcher hitting eighth for the Cards!):