Cincinnati @ St. Louis preview
Busch Stadium
Last Meeting ( May 15, 2011 ) St. Louis 7, Cincinnati 9
THE STORY: One of the most heated rivalries in baseball resumes Monday when the Cincinnati Reds visit the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series. When Cincinnati swept St. Louis in May for the first time since 2007, Francisco Cordero hit Albert Pujols with an inside pitch, prompting a lot of barking from the Cards’ dugout. The teams also had a bench-clearing brawl last August. St. Louis won the National League Central in 2009, the Reds took it last year, and now the Cards are tied with Milwaukee atop the division. But the Reds sit just two games back. Cincinnati and St. Louis rank 1-2 in the league in runs.
TV: 6:15 p.m., FSMW, FSOH
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Chris Carpenter (3-7, 4.00 ERA) vs. Reds RH Johnny Cueto (5-2, 1.84 ERA).
The 36-year-old Carpenter just tossed his second complete game and has won back-to-back decisions for the first time this season. In his career, he’s 12-4 with a 2.42 ERA against the Reds. No one is pitching better than Cueto, who’s gone at least seven innings in his last six starts while yielding five or fewer hits each time. But he has struggled against the Cards, going 4-3 with a 5.47 ERA in 10 starts. Ryan Theriot is 11-for-31 (.355) and Matt Holliday is 6-for-14 (.429) with five RBIs against Cueto.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (45-40): Lance Berkman, one of three St. Louis All-Stars along with Holliday and Yadier Molina, has homered four times in his past four games. He has 22 homers and called his first half one of the three or four best of his career. The Cards are coming off two straight losses in Tampa Bay, which won its first series against St. Louis. The Cardinals rank second in the NL with 398 runs.
ABOUT THE REDS (43-42): The Reds finished interleague play just 6-12 and are happy to return to NL action. They had scored just nine runs in four games before breaking out in a 7-5 win over Cleveland on Sunday. Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips made the All-Star team. Bruce will make his first trip, with Votto and Phillips returning for a second straight year. Cincinnati leads the NL with 405 runs scored.
FINAL PITCH: The Reds lead the season series, 4-2. Cincinnati closer Cordero has 17 saves in 19 chances and a 1.49 ERA, but was left off the All-Star team.