Cardinals Come To Town
The St. Louis Cardinals starting rotation has done a fairly remarkable
job this season, considering the unit consists of four journeymen and a
top pitcher who’s been on the disabled list since early June.
It seems the group’s limitations may finally be catching up with it.
Braden
Looper will try to help the Cardinals turn their recent pitching woes
around on Monday when they open a critical four-game road set with theAtlanta Braves.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global
have made Atlanta -120 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has
been set at 9 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 57% of bets for this game have been placed on Atlanta -120 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
St. Louis (58-49) has one of the best records in
the NL, but is third in the Central Division. The Cardinals are four
games back of the first-place Chicago Cubs and three behind the
Milwaukee Brewers, and those two teams will meet in a four-game series
at Miller Park this week.
Manager Tony La Russa’s team has lost
six of seven as it prepares to face the Braves (49-55) for the first
time in 2008. St. Louis began last week by scoring a combined nine runs
as it was swept in four games by Milwaukee, then gave up 24 runs over
three games in losing twice to the New York Mets.
"The reality
is, it was a tough week," general manager John Mozeliak told the
Cardinals’ official Web site. "I think we’re still in (the race), but
we’re going to have to have a lot of things go right if we want to
finish strong."
Kyle Lohse, who was 12-2 heading into Sunday,
gave up seven runs on 11 hits over five innings and the Cardinals lost
the series finale with the Mets 9-1.
St. Louis’ rotation hasn’t
done much since the All-Star break. The Cardinals’ starters are 2-3
with a 6.60 ERA in their last 11 games. They had a 4.13 ERA before the
break.
Braden Looper (9-8, 4.49 ERA) is 0-3 with a 5.55 ERA in his last
five starts. He was a hard-luck loser in his latest outing, when he
allowed a run over five innings against the Brewers on Wednesday in a
3-0 loss.
Looper was battered in his lone start at Turner Field.
He gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 2 2-3 innings in a 14-6 Cardinals’
loss on July 21, 2007.
St. Louis will hope to have center fielder
Rick Ankiel back in time to face the Braves. Ankiel was held out of
Sunday’s game due to an abdominal strain.
Ankiel has hit safely
in all nine games he’s played since the All-Star break, going 15-for-41
(.366) with two homers and nine RBIs.
Atlanta has had trade
rumors swirling around the club – particularly first baseman Mark
Teixeira – over the last few weeks. Teixeira is a free agent after this
season, and it’s unclear if general manager Frank Wren plans on trading
him or attempting to make a run at the postseason.
The latter
seems unlikely, given that the Braves are in fourth in the NL East.
Atlanta fell 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Mets on Sunday with a
12-10 loss in rainy Philadelphia, the second day in a row manager Bobby
Cox’s club had blown at least a five-run lead.
"We lose a
five-run lead today, a six-run lead yesterday," Cox said. "With leads
like that, you think you ought to be able to win."
The Braves
have been without Chipper Jones, who has a strained left hamstring,
since Wednesday. Jones, baseball’s leading hitter at .369, says he’s
likely headed to the DL. Atlanta can only hope the situation isn’t the
same for catcher Brian McCann, who left Sunday’s loss with a mild
concussion after a collision in the sixth inning. He’ll be re-evaluated
Monday.
Due to a nearly two-hour rain delay on Sunday, Jo-Jo
Reyes – who was scheduled to start Monday – was pressed into duty,
pitching 2 2-3 innings while giving up five runs. That means Charlie
Morton (2-3, 6.00), who had been sent to Triple-A Saturday to make room
for Mike Hampton, will be the likely starter, though Cox won’t say for
sure until Monday.
Morton gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings in a 4-0 loss at Florida on Tuesday.
Did
you like this article? Subscribe to our Baseball news feed for the fastest
updates delivered right to you – Click here to
Subscribe