St. Louis @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 6, 2011 ) Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 1
THE STORY: Teams in the thick of the wild National League Central race open a key series Friday when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Pittsburgh has won 10 of 15 overall and nine of its last 11 home games. St. Louis is 2-4 on a nine-game road trip that concludes this weekend.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ROOT, FS-M
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Paul Maholm (6-9, 3.06 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Chris Carpenter (5-7, 3.69 ERA)
Maholm has given up two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts, and he has a 1.93 ERA in 11 starts at PNC Park. Albert Pujols is 19-for-33 (.576) in his career against Maholm with a homer and six doubles, but Lance Berkman is just 5-for-31 (.161) and Matt Holiday 3-for-19 (.158).
Carpenter has won four straight decisions and St. Louis has won seven of his last nine starts. He was brilliant in his last outing, holding the rival Cincinnati Reds to one run over eight innings. He has posted an 11-2 career mark with a 2.09 ERA in 16 starts against Pittsburgh.
ABOUT THE PIRATES (51-45): Pittsburgh took two of three from Cincinnati despite scoring just four runs in the series. The Pirates are getting healthier. Utility man Steve Pearce should return Friday from a right calf strain that’s kept him out since May. Shortstop Ronny Cedeno (concussion) also could be back Friday or over the weekend. Neil Walker looks to start another hitting streak after his team-best 13-game rendition came to an end on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (51-47): Kyle Lohse, who is scheduled to start Sunday, returned to St. Louis to have the finger on his pitching hand examined. He reportedly has inflammation on the middle finger. The team will decide whether Lohse can make the start after getting the doctor’s report. Holliday went 0-for-4 in Thursday’s win, but he had driven in 11 runs in the previous 11 games. He is batting .357 during that stretch. The Cardinals are tied with Cincinnati for the NL lead in runs scored with 450.
FINAL PITCH: The Pirates took two of three in St. Louis in April. ... When Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina stole second in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 6-2 win against the New York Mets, it ended a 33-game stolen base drought for St. Louis, second-longest in team history.