Many picked the New York Mets (55-66) and the St. Louis Cardinals (54-67) to win their respective divisions. Instead, they have been two of the most disappointing teams in the National League. The Mets will begin a seven-game road trip with four in St. Louis, which begins Thursday night. Both teams have played a bit better as of late, as the Mets just took two of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Cardinals just won a three-game series over the Oakland Athletics. Here are some important notes to look for in each of the four pitching matchups.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, August 17, 2023: LHP José Quintana (0-4, 3.03 ERA) vs. RHP Adam Wainwright (3-7, 8.78 ERA)

José Quintana stepped into the Mets rotation and immediately became an impact guy, despite spending over three months on the sidelines. The left-hander will get his first opportunity to face the team that traded for him at the deadline nearly 12 months ago, and he is in good form. Quintana is coming off his most impressive start in recent weeks, allowing just one run on four hits in six innings against a potent Atlanta Braves lineup. Thursday’s start will be his fourth appearance on the road in 2023, going 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. Quintana will be motivated to earn his first victory as a member of the Mets to open the series.

Adam Wainwright is a future Hall of Famer, but his 18th and final season with the Cardinals has not gone to plan. The veteran right-hander did not make his season debut until May 6, missing the first month of the season with a groin injury that flared up during the World Baseball Classic. By the time he returned, the Cardinals’ season had already begun taking a turn for the worst. Wainwright is looking to bounce back after his shortest outing of the season, surrendering eight runs on nine hits in an inning plus against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 11. He has a total of one quality start through 66 2/3 innings this season.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Friday, August 18, 2023: TBD vs. RHP Zack Thompson (2-4, 3.96 ERA)

The Mets have yet to announce a starter for Friday’s game, and with no starter available on normal rest, the team will need to call someone up from Triple-A Syracuse to make a start. José Butto threw 2 2/3 innings of relief on Tuesday, so he is likely unavailable. Justin Jarvis, who the Mets recently acquired in the trade that sent Mark Canha to the Milwaukee Brewers, last pitched in Triple-A on Aug. 12. The right-hander could make his major league debut on extra rest if the team goes in that direction.

Left-hander Joey Lucchesi is an option to start this game for the Mets. He lines up perfectly and is on the 40-man roster.

Zack Thompson has been a solid bullpen arm for the Cardinals, working in long relief occasionally. On Aug. 6, the left-hander made his first start of the season against the Colorado Rockies. He threw four innings, allowing one run to score on two hits while earning a season-high eight strikeouts. Five days later, Thompson threw another four innings against the Royals, this time in relief of Wainwright. The Cardinals moved Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery at the deadline, and with an opening in the rotation, it may go to him [Thompson] for the remainder of the year.

Kodai Senga. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, August 19, 2023: RHP Kodai Senga (9-6, 3.30 ERA) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (6-8, 4.27 ERA)

Kodai Senga continues to impress in his first major league season, proving that he is already one of the best starting pitchers in the National League. He earned his ninth victory of the season against the Braves on Aug. 13, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out seven in six innings. Through six starts in the second half, Senga is 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA. This will be his second start against the Cardinals, earning the loss in their previous encounter. Senga threw 6 2/3 innings in that matchup, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out eight. The home run ball hurt him on that day, as he gave up a season-high two.

Like many within the Cardinals organization, the 2023 season has been an underwhelming campaign for Miles Mikolas. The right-hander was an All-Star for the second time in his career last season, but he has failed to replicate that level of pitching. In the month of May, Mikolas was 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA across 38 innings of work. Other than that, it has been a disappointing year for the 34-year-old. His numbers at home (2-4, 4.86 ERA) are worse than what he has accomplished on the road this season (4-4, 3.72 ERA). Mikolas will look to improve on that against the Mets, who he is 1-2 against in his career in five outings.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, August 20, 2023: RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 6.40 ERA) vs. RHP Dakota Hudson (4-0, 4.03 ERA)

Carlos Carrasco never seemed to get into any sort of rhythm, struggling to produce quality outings from the backend of the Mets rotation early in the year. The 36-year-old had a good month of May (2-0, 3.57 ERA in 17 2/3 innings), but besides that, it has been a frustrating season for hi,. Allowing hitters to reach base via base on balls has hurt him the most, as he is on pace (currently at 38) to surpass his career high (46 walks in 2018) by season’s end. Carrasco’s last quality outing came all the way back on Jul. 6 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander will look to improve on his 5.32 road ERA in 45 2/3 innings.

Dakota Hudson has worked himself back into the Cardinals rotation after beginning the 2023 season in the bullpen. The right-hander has been a solid pitcher in his major league career, owning a 3.64 ERA across six seasons. His splits as a starter (3-0, 4.15 ERA) versus as a reliever (1-0, 3.86 ERA) are quite similar, although he still projects as a rotation member moving forward. The Cardinals are desperate for more starting pitching, and if Hudson can prove his worth over the final month and a half, he deserves a spot to begin next season. He will make his seventh appearance at home in the series finale, going 3-0 with a 4.00 ERA in the previous six.