The Cardinals begin a season-long nine-game road trip today. They hit the road for this day game with little rest after getting past the Cubs, 4-3, late Sunday night in a game that was delayed 2 1/2 hours by rain.

St. Louis has finally started to play better. But the host Reds are brimming with confidence after a three-game home sweep of the Dodgers.

The Reds welcome back to their rotation southpaw Nick Lodolo, who had been on the injured list with a groin strain. Lodolo is 3-2 with a 3.34 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He has 43 strikeouts in 35 innings.

The Cardinals rank last in the majors against lefty pitching batting .202. They also are at the bottom vs lefthanders in slugging percentage.

Veteran Lance Lynn gets the start for St. Louis. He has a 3.68 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. Lynn is vulnerable to the long ball and Great American Ball Park is one of the best hitting parks in the majors. Lynn has a career 4.22 ERA at Great American Ball Park in 12 appearances, including 10 starts.