Opposite dugout: Cards in unfamiliar territory looking up at NL Central leaders

Manager: Mike Matheny (6th season)

Record: 37-41

Last 10 games: 6-4

Who to watch: 3B Jedd Gyorko (.298 with 12 HR, 39 RBIs), 1B Matt Carpenter (14 HR, 40 RBIs), CF Tommy Pham (.284 with 9 HR, 25 RBIs), C Yadier Molina (9 HR, 31 RIs), RHP Mike Leake (5-6, 3.12 ERA), RHP Carlos Martínez (6-6, 2.88 ERA), RHP Seung Hwan Oh (16 saves, 3.75 ERA)

Season series vs. Nationals: 1-2

Pitching probables:

June 30: RHP Tanner Roark vs. RHP Mike Leake, 8:15 p.m., MASN2
July 1: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Michael Wacha, 7:15 p.m., FOX
July 2: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Carlos Martínez, 8:08 p.m., ESPN

Inside the Cardinals:

The Cardinals may be experiencing a difficult season, but there's still time for them to integrate themselves into the National League Central race and contend for a playoff position. But as the season reaches its midpoint, manager Mike Matheny's club could just as easily fall to the bottom half of the division and out of contention. It's been an unusual season in St. Louis, where the Cardinals can't seem to get any consistent offense going - certainly not enough to support a pitching staff that probably has deserved a better fate.

The Cardinals look different than when the Nats last saw them in April. Center fielder Dexter Fowler, the big offseason free agent signing from the Cubs, is on the disabled list with a right heel problem (and he was hitting only .245 with 13 homers and 35 RBIs before the injury). Third baseman Jhonny Peralta has been supplanted by Jedd Gyorko and was peddled off to the Red Sox. Gyorko, who has hit 12 homers and driven in 39 runs, and first baseman Matt Carpenter, with a team-leading 14 homers and 40 RBIs, are doing some damage. But Carpenter is batting only .230 - and a .258 mark in June actually raised his average. The Cardinals have gotten some outfield offense from center fielder Tommy Pham, who has nine homers and nine steals to go along with a .284 average. Catcher Yadier Molina continues to defy age: Approaching his 35th birthday, Molina still has enough arm strength to shut down opponents' running games, and he's chipped in on offense with 31 RBIs. Left fielder Randal Grichuk spent a month in the minors - starting at Single-A Jupiter, where his swing was retooled - and he's hit three homers and driven in nine runs in five games since returning last week.

Before his first season at the Nationals' helm in 2016, Dusty Baker wanted his new team to go after free agent right-hander Mike Leake, who instead signed for five years and $75 million with the Cardinals. Leake, who starts Friday's series opener, is 0-4 in his last six starts and hasn't won since May 24 (though St. Louis was victorious in each of his past two outings). He's eaten innings this year, failing to make it through six frames only once in 15 starts. Lifetime against the Nats, he's 4-5 with a 4.24 ERA in 12 starts. Saturday starter Michael Wacha posted a 5.55 ERA in five June starts, so he'll be happy to see the calendar flip to July. At home, he holds opponents to a .249/.313/.387 slash line, and first-pitch strikes are important to him. When he gets an 0-1 count, batters hit .216; when it's 1-0, they feast at a .323 clip. Wacha has had success against the Nationals, posting a 2-2 record and 1.57 ERA in four career starts. Righty Carlos Martínez starts Sunday night's prime time finale and he's been the Cards' best pitcher this season. He's worked at least six innings in his last 12 starts, and though he's surrendered 10 homers this season, he's yielded only two over his last 41 1/3 innings - and both of those came in one game. Martínez is 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA in eight home starts. He's 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA in five games (one start) in his career versus the Nats.

For years, the Cardinals had a lockdown bullpen, but that's one of the weaknesses they're now dealing with. Closer Seung Hwan Oh has converted 16 of 19 save chances, but his four losses, 1.36 WHIP and 3.75 ERA are hardly numbers reflective of an elite ninth-inning reliever.