LEADING OFF: Scherzer vs Wainwright in St. Louis

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A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:

TWO GOOD ONES

Max Scherzer faces Adam Wainwright as the Nationals and Cardinals finish their pivotal series in St. Louis. Washington is fighting for position in the wild-card race while St. Louis is looking to hold off Chicago and Milwaukee for the NL Central championship.

Since returning from a trip to the injured list for a mid-back strain, Scherzer is 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA in five starts for the Nationals. The three-time Cy Young Award winner pitched five innings of three-run ball in a 5-0 loss to Atlanta on Friday night.

The 38-year-old Wainwright is 3-0 with a sparkling 0.45 ERA in three starts this month. The right-hander struck out seven in six innings in a 10-0 victory over Milwaukee on Friday.

HOMER VS THE ROYALS

Right-hander Homer Bailey will pitch for the Athletics for a second time against his former Royals team in the clubs' series finale, opposite lefty Danny Duffy. Bailey is 6-2 with a 4.72 ERA in 11 starts since the July 14 trade. Bailey was the winning pitcher in a 19-4 victory at Kansas City on Aug. 26. He worked 5 1/3 effective innings in a 3-2 victory at Houston in his previous start Thursday.

STANTON AND THE YANKEES

Giancarlo Stanton is expected to return to the New York Yankees on Wednesday or Thursday. The slugger has been limited to nine games this year because of injuries. The 2017 NL MVP will see time at designated hitter and left field, an unsettled position for much of the season. The 29-year-old Stanton, in his second season with the Yankees, had been working out at the team's minor league complex in Tampa, Florida.

SANDY ROLLING

Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara looks to continue his solid stretch when he takes the mound in Arizona. Alcantara has a 2.49 ERA over his last seven starts, working at least six innings in each outing. He tossed seven innings of one-run ball in a 1-0 loss at San Francisco on Friday. Mike Leake pitches for the Diamondbacks. He is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in September.