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The Toronto Blue Jays present the stiffest possible challenge for St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante.

Pallante (4-3. 4.91 ERA) has struck out just 44 in 66 innings. The Blue Jays have struck out just 446 times, fewest in the majors.

If the patterns hold, Toronto will put a lot of balls in play Monday night while opening a three-game series against the host Cardinals.

Pallante will try to rebound from a tough outing and limit hard contact. He allowed seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals in his last start on Tuesday. He retired 13 straight, then allowed five runs in the fifth inning but got a no-decision in a 10-7 loss.

Pallante thrives on inducing soft contact, particularly on the ground. But in his last two starts, he allowed 11 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits and three walks.

“What else would you ask the guy to do, right? He has to do what gives him success,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He was in the zone. He was not walking people. He’s pitching to contact. The mix could have been a little different.”

Pallante will look to reestablish his command against the Blue Jays.

“I can try to put those pitches in the best possible spots where maybe they pop them up or they hit a ground ball softer, a worse launch angle so there’s a better chance of them being outs,” Pallante said. “When I throw my sinker out over the plate, they’re able to hit it the other way. When I throw my four-seamer on the arm side, they’re able to pull it and lift it in the air. There is stuff like that that I have control over.”

Pallante is 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 6 2/3 innings over four career outings against the Blue Jays, including one start.

The host Cardinals won two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers during their three-game weekend series.

“I enjoyed the heck out of it,” Marmol said.

The Blue Jays’ four-game winning streak ended with a 6-3 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. They had won nine of their last 10 games.

Toronto outfielder George Springer has continued his offensive resurgence by producing two homers, three runs and four RBIs in his last four games.

After hitting .220 last season with a .674 OPS, Springer got back on track this season while working with new Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins. Springer is batting .251 with an .852 OPS.

“I think it’s a combination of … having a really good player still — I know he’s getting a little bit older — but, I think being convicted in what he’s trying to do,” manager John Schneider said. “Couldn’t be happier for him. He’s put last year behind him and said, ‘OK, this is the player I know I can be.’ ”

The Blue Jays will open the series with Jose Berrios (2-2, 3.67), who met the quality start metric in his last four starts while allowing six runs in 24 innings.

Berrios held the Philadelphia Phillies to one run, four hits and two walks and struck out five in six innings during his last start on Wednesday.

In his career, Berrios is 3-0 with a 3.16 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings over five starts against the Cardinals.

–Field Level Media