If they are to close ground in the National League wild-card race, the Cincinnati Reds must get left-hander Andrew Abbott back on track.

Abbott (8-4, 2.62 ERA) is coming off his worst outing of the season. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, including two homers, in four innings of a 10-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks last weekend.

Abbott will look to rebound Saturday night in the middle game of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals in Cincinnati. The Cardinals won 7-5 in 10 innings Friday night, handing the Reds their seventh loss in their past eight games.

Cincinnati has fallen five games behind the New York Mets in the race for the final National League wild-card slot. The Cardinals are 6 1/2 games back of the Mets.

Abbott blamed unusally poor control

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