BIRTHDAYMike Trout is likely to sit out the Angels‘ game against Detroit because of a sore right wrist Odubel Herrera Jersey , depriving Los Angeles‘ fans of what’s become an annual treat: Seeing Trout do incredible things on his birthday. Trout will turn 27 on Tuesday, and he has a history of throwing celebrations for himself. He has homered on his birthday four times in his first six full big-league seasons. He did it at the Big A last season, homering and also getting his 1,000th career hit. Trout received a cortisone injection on his wrist Monday, and the Angels are hopeful he can return to the lineup on the weekend. He missed his fifth straight game Monday.PITCHING PALSPittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon and Colorado’s Chad Bettis will pitch in a game featuring two starters bouncing back from testicular cancer. Bettis underwent surgery in November 2016 for testicular cancer and continued cancer treatments through that spring and into last season. So when Taillon had surgery to treat testicular cancer on May 8, 2017, he had an instant line of support. Taillon spoke a few times with Bettis during his treatment, calling their exchanges “comforting.”“I just felt like if I needed anything or had a question, I was very comfortable going to ask him about any part of the process Jorge Alfaro Jersey ,” Taillon said.DOUBLE UPThe Braves and Nationals open a four-game series with a doubleheader. Atlanta is right on Philadelphia’s heals in the NL East race, while Washington is five games back of the Braves. Atlanta’s Max Fried (1-4, 3.38 ERA) faces Jefry Rodriguez (0-1, 6.86) in the opener, and Nationals ace Max Scherzer (15-5, 2.33) opposes Sean Newcomb (10-5, 3.23) in the nightcap.HAPP HEALINGThe sputtering Yankees got some good news Monday when left-hander J.A. Happ moved a little closer to returning from hand, foot and mouth disease. Manager Aaron Boone said Happ is no longer contagious. Assuming everything goes well over the next couple of days, Happ is on track to start Thursday against Texas in the opener of an 11-game homestand. “He’s out of the woods http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-josh-bell-jersey , virus-wise,” Boone said.FAR FROM CY YEARSStruggling former AL Cy Young Award winners Bartolo Colon and Felix Hernandez will be on the mound when the Rangers host the Mariners in the middle game of their three-game series. The last victory for both hefty right-handers came on June 30. Colon (5-10, 5.18 ERA), the 45-year-old hurler who was the 2005 Cy Young winner while with the Angels, has lost five consecutive starts for Texas since his 246th career win that matched Dennis Martinez for the most by a player born in Latin America. The 32-year-old Hernandez (8-9, 5.49), who won the Cy Young with the Mariners in 2010, is 0-3 with a 7.64 ERA his last four starts.ROBINSON GETTING READYRobinson Cano has begun his minor league rehab assignment ahead of his return from an 80-game suspension for violating baseball’s joint drug agreement. Cano played Monday for Triple-A Tacoma and is scheduled to play there again Tuesday. After that, he may play some games for Class A Everett later in the week. Cano is eligible to rejoin Seattle on Aug. 14. When he does Sean Rodriguez Jersey , he’s expected to play first, second and third base. ST. LOUIS (AP) — A small bump in the road.That’s what St. Louis Cardinals infielder Paul DeJong says Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates was.“At this point we’re flushing this one,” DeJong said. “And getting ready for L.A.”The Cardinals begin a key four-game series against the Dodgers on Thursday. St. Louis leads Los Angeles by two games for the second NL wild card. The Dodgers beat the Reds 8-1 on Wednesday.The Cardinals are 34-19 under new manager Mike Shildt. They have the most wins in the NL after the All-Star break with 33.Outfielder Harrison Bader is confident St. Louis can break its two-year postseason drought.“The best time to play our best baseball is towards the end of the season,” Bader said. “And I think we’re right there. Pitching, defense, offense, I couldn’t be more excited for these last few games.”Outfielder Tyler O’Neill agreed: “We’ve been playing great in the late innings and had a lot of walk-offs this year. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get it done tonight. But we’ll be ready for what lies ahead.”Jameson Taillon (13-9) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings Wednesday, leaving with a 4-1 lead after the first two Cardinals reached in the eighth. He has held opponents to three earned runs or less in his last 19 starts Felipe Vazquez Jersey , the second- longest streak in the NL behind New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom with 26.“His command and his control were at a premium,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “All of his pitches were in good sequence. It was all part of the package.”Taillon has gone seven innings or more seven times this season and has limited opponents to two runs or fewer in all of those outings.“Having a slider helps, it’s something else I can throw,” Taillon said.Jose Martinez hit into a run-scoring forceout in the eighth inning against Felipe Vazquez, who allowed Patrick Wisdom’s run-scoring single in the ninth. Vazquez rebounded to strike out DeJong and Matt Carpenter with two on to end the game for his 22nd consecutive save and 32nd in 36 chances this year.“He went to next-level stuff,” said Pittsburgh catcher Jacob Stallings, who drove in three runs. “To get those two punch-outs against those quality hitters was pretty spectacular.”Pittsburgh has won six of eight. The Pirates won 11 in a row from July 11-24.Daniel Poncedeleon (0-2), making his fourth start for St. Louis, allowed two runs and five hits in five innings.Marcell Ozuna had a run-scoring single in the first for the Cardinals http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-josh-bell-jersey , but Stallings hit a sacrifice fly in the second, Jordan Luplow had a go-ahead single in the third, and Stallings boosted the lead to 4-1 with a two-run single off Mike Mayers in the sixth.TRAINER’S ROOMPirates: OF Gregory Polanco underwent surgery to repair an acute dislocation of his left shoulder on Wednesday. He was injured on Friday in a 5-3 win over Miami and is likely out for the rest of the season.Cardinals: INF Jedd Gyorko was activated from the 10-day DL. He had been bothered by a left groin strain. … C Yadier Molina remains out with a sore hamstring.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Chris Archer (4-7, 4.56) will face LHP Gio Gonzalez (8-11, 4.40) in the opener of a three-game series at Milwaukee on Friday. Archer is making his eighth start for the Pirates after he was acquired from Tampa Bay on July 31.Cardinals LHP Austin Gomber (5-0, 2.93) is to take on LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-5, 2.32) in the start of a four-game series against the visiting Dodgers on Thursday.