(70-57) at Pittsburgh
(69-59)
August 27, 2012
7:05 PM ET, 6:05 PM CT, 5:05 PM MT, 4:05 PM PT
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
TV: FSMW, ROOT
RADIO: KMOX 1120
K. Lohse (13-2, 2.61) A. Burnett (15-4, 3.63)
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/cardinals- ... --mlb.html
Things have changed in a major way in the seven days since the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates met in one of the season's most memorable games.
The Cardinals have been surging and the Pirates have been stumbling since they played a 19-inning thriller, and the final 2012 series between these NL Central rivals and wild-card contenders begins Monday night at PNC Park.
When Pittsburgh (68-59) survived for a 6-3, 19-inning win at St. Louis (70-57) on Aug. 19, it gave the Pirates a two-game lead over the Cardinals for the NL's second wild card.
St. Louis has gone 5-1 since while Pittsburgh has dropped five of six to make the margin two games the other way now. There are major question marks about the Pirates' focus entering their last chance to gain ground on the Cardinals head-to-head.
"I would not say we're not focused," said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle after his team's 7-0 home loss to Milwaukee on Sunday. "I wouldn't say that's an accurate statement. We're just not playing well."We've got to play better to win. And they know that. There's nobody who knows it better than them."
St. Louis, meanwhile, seems to have put Pittsburgh in its rear-view mirror. Matt Holliday had four hits and four RBIs in Sunday's 8-2 rout at Cincinnati that pulled the Cardinals within six games of the division-leading Reds.
"I'm just trying to do my part," Holliday said. "This is a team game. We only play the Reds three more times. We are going to need some help."
It's probably not surprising that St. Louis has surged ahead in this race. The defending World Series champions own baseball's best run differential at plus-126 while the Pirates have outscored their foes by a mere 11 runs.
Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse (13-2, 2.61 ERA) has gone 7-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 12 outings since his last loss June 15 against Kansas City. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.01 ERA this month after allowing two runs over seven innings Wednesday to earn a 4-2 victory over Houston.
Lohse won at PNC Park on April 22 in his lone 2012 outing against the Pirates to improve to 8-2 with a 3.51 ERA against them in 15 starts. He has had trouble against Jose Tabata (9 for 18), Neil Walker (8 for 29) and Andrew McCutchen (8 for 25).
The Series:These teams have split 12 meetings in 2012. Pedro Alvarez is 15 for 45 with four homers and 16 RBIs in the season series for Pittsburgh while Beltran leads St. Louis with 12 RBIs.
season series tied 6-6
August 27, 2012-STL (Lohse) @ PIT (Burnett)-6:05 PM CDT
August 28, 2012-STL (Westbrook) @ PIT (McDonald)-6:05 PM CDT
August 29, 2012-STL (Kelly) @ PIT (Rodriguez)-6:05 PM CDT
PNC Park, 115 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Baseball Reference 2012 Cardinals Statistics
2012 Current MLB Standings
2012 Current MLB Wild Card Standings
2012 Current MLB vs. Division Standings
2012 Current MLB vs. Expanded Standings
Last Game:
St. Louis 8, Cincinnati 2
WP: A. Wainwright (13-10)
LP: H. Bailey (10-9)
HR: STL - A. Craig (20)
Holliday's two-run single
Craig's two-run shot
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/holliday-p ... --mlb.html
Holliday powers Cardinals past Reds 8-2
The Associated Press
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Matt Holliday had four hits and four RBIs, Adam Wainwright won his fifth consecutive start and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 on Sunday.
Allen Craig homered and drove in three runs as St. Louis handed the Reds just their second series loss in 13 sets since the All-Star break. The Cardinals have won five of six to move within six games of the NL Central-leading Reds.
St. Louis' 17 hits are the most allowed by Cincinnati in one game this season.
Wainwright (13-10) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings while improving to 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last seven starts overall. The 6-foot-7 right-hander, who missed all of last season because of elbow surgery, hasn't lost since July 18 at Milwaukee.
The Cardinals strung together four consecutive ground-ball singles during a five-hit third inning that plated three runs. Skip Schumaker led off with a double to right-center, and Wainwright chipped in with a one-out single into left field. Schumaker scored on Jon Jay 's base hit up the middle and Matt Carpenter singled to load the bases for Matt Holliday 's two-run single to left.
St. Louis added two more runs in the sixth to make it 5-0. Holliday hit a leadoff triple before Craig drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left for his 20th homer.
Chris Heisey and Ryan Ludwick had RBI singles in the sixth for Cincinnati, which beat the Cardinals 8-2 on Saturday.
Holliday doubled in a run in the seventh and singled in Carpenter in the ninth.
NOTES: Reds 1B Joey Votto is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Tuesday at Single-A Dayton, perhaps the last step of his comeback from two minor surgical procedures related to a torn meniscus in his left knee. The Reds are 27-14 since Votto left the lineup. ... RHP Nick Masset was awaiting the results of an MRI on his right shoulder after soreness returned following his rehab appearance with Triple-A Louisville on Aug. 21. Masset has been on the disabled list since spring training. ... The Reds and Cardinals meet one more time this season, in the final series Oct. 1-3 in St. Louis.
