(Photo credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images)

With St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn sidelined by a season-ending knee injury, Thomas Saggese gets to close out the season as his replacement.

Saggese is hitting .294 in September after batting .273 in August. He went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer on Tuesday as the Cardinals beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds 3-0.

The 23-year-old rookie will try to continue his strong finish on Wednesday when the Cardinals host the Reds in the decisive game of a three-game series.

The Reds (75-76) won 11-6 on Monday before the Cardinals (74-78) bounced back on Tuesday. Cincinnati sits three games behind the New York Mets (78-73) in the crowded race for the final National League wild-card slot, while the Cardinals are 4 1/2 games back.

Saggese found a niche as a utility infielder this season after graduating from Triple-A Memphis.

'Masyn was going to take the majority of innings there at short,' Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 'When he goes down, it allows Saggese to kind of plug in and see what he's capable of doing. He's taken some good at-bats, you look at the last stretch, it's been really good, and he's played a nice short.

'He's going to continue to get better. He's a guy with a high aptitude that works hard and is eager to get better. It's been fun watching him.'

The Cardinals will give the ball on Wednesday to right-hander Andre Pallante (6-14, 5.34 ERA), who has struggled with his transition to a full-time role in the rotation.

Pallante walked four batters in five innings in his latest start, when he allowed five runs (two earned) and four hits in an 8-2 loss to the host Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. The result left him 0-7 with a 7.11 ERA in his past eight starts.

However, Pallante has pitched well against the Reds. He is 1-2 with a 2.65 ERA in three starts against them this season, and he is 6-3 with a 2.08 ERA in 18 career appearances (eight starts) vs. Cincinnati.

The Cardinals may be without first baseman Willson Contreras again in the series finale. He left the Monday game due to right biceps tightness and sat out on Tuesday.

'I've been getting treatment day to day,' Contreras said. 'But lately it has been getting a little tighter, a little worse than before. Trying to be careful with it.'

The Reds have lost four of their past five games to lose ground in the playoff race.

'There's still time,' Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott, who took the loss on Tuesday, said, according to MLB.com. 'A lot of things have to go right. I've got to pitch better in my next two (starts). Guys have got to step up. We've had our backs against the wall for two weeks, so it's just about the right time to answer the call.'

Cincinnati will start right-hander Brady Singer (13-10, 3.94), who is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts this month after going 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA in six August starts.

Singer has allowed just seven hits in his past 12 innings. However, he allowed two homers in his most recent start, a 3-0 loss to the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif., on Friday. He tossed six innings of two-run ball.

'I felt good throughout the outing,' Singer said. 'Two homers, obviously not what I want to do there. Other than that, I felt good.'

Singer is 1-2 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts against the Cardinals this season, giving him a career mark of 1-3 with a 3.43 ERA in four starts vs. St. Louis.

--Field Level Media