St. Louis (64-53) at Chi Cubs (69-46)

TV: FSN | Radio: KTRS 550 2:20 pm ET Wrigley Field TV: CSN | Radio: WGN 720
stl

Cards set for huge series vs. rival Cubs

Lee Hurwitz / MLB.com
Headed to Chicago to face the division-leading Cubs, the Cards look forward to making up ground in the NL Central, beginning with Friday's 1:20 CT opener.
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Cardinals probable pitcher

Braden Looper

  • RHP
  • (10-9) 4.29 ERA 65 SO
Even though he pitched one of his better outings of the year in his last start, Looper did not get enough help from his offense to earn his 11th win. Looper gave up two solo home runs to the Phillies and they did him in. Looper has given up 17 home runs over the year, which put him at the 14th most in the National League. He has not fared all that well against the Dodgers but has allowed two runs or less in each of his last three starts.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 56-53 3.94 916.2 296 526 .268
Season 10-9 4.29 134.1 32 65 .285
August 0-1 2.57 7.0 2 4 .136
Vs. Chi Cubs 0-1 2.57 7.0 1 5 .231

Series at a Glance

Standings - 08/08/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central) 64 53 .547 6.0 33-28 31-25
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 69 46 .600 - 43-16 26-30
Stats - 08/08/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
STL .276 558 126 531 52 710 4.27 1056.2 1120 368 664
CHC .281 615 131 582 67 838 3.77 1035.1 953 380 890
chc

Cubs looking to keep Cards at bay

Nick Zaccardi / MLB.com
Though it's only August, the Cubs believe their upcoming three-game series at Wrigley against the division-rival Cardinals is an important one.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Ted Lilly

  • #30 LHP
  • (11-6) 4.35 ERA 129 SO
Lilly has thrown four quality starts in a row since the All-Star Game. Before that, the veteran left-hander held the Cardinals to two runs in six innings on July 5 and got a no-decision. He has a 3.46 ERA against the Cardinals in two starts this year and enjoys a lifetime 3.06 ERA against the Cubs' NL Central rival. He battled in his last start, against Pittsburgh, tossing 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball en route to his 11th win.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 85-72 4.45 1283.2 487 1102 .248
Season 11-6 4.35 140.2 50 129 .254
August 1-0 1.42 6.1 3 5 .261
Vs. St. Louis 1-0 3.46 13.0 2 9 .255

Cardinals hitters vs Ted Lilly

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Anderson, Bryan - - - - - - - -
Craig, Allen - - - - - - - -
Freese, David - - - - - - - -
Greene, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Hamilton, Mark - - - - - - - -
Jay, Jon - - - - - - - -
Jones, Daryl - - - - - - - -
Ludwick, Ryan .333 6 0 2 .150 20 0 2
Lugo, Julio - - - - .250 16 1 3
Mather, Joe - - - - .500 4 1 1
Molina, Yadier .500 6 1 1 .174 23 1 1
Pagnozzi, Matt - - - - - - - -
Pujols, Albert .600 5 1 1 .321 28 2 3
Rasmus, Colby - - - - - - - -
Robinson, Shane - - - - - - - -
Ryan, Brendan .167 6 0 0 .235 17 0 0
Schumaker, Skip .000 6 0 0 .083 12 0 0
Stavinoha, Nick - - - - - - - -

Cubs hitters vs Braden Looper

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff .000 1 0 0 .000 1 0 0
Blanco, Andres - - - - 1.000 1 0 0
Bradley, Milton - - - - .000 2 0 0
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike - - - - .111 9 0 1
Fox, Jake - - - - - - - -
Fukudome, Kosuke .333 3 1 1 .308 13 1 1
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie - - - - .000 3 0 0
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - .333 3 0 1
Lee, Derrek .333 3 0 0 .292 24 1 2
Miles, Aaron - - - - - - - -
Ramirez, Aramis .000 3 0 0 .304 23 0 2
Soriano, Alfonso - - - - .231 13 0 1
Soto, Geovany 1.000 2 1 1 .400 10 1 1
Theriot, Ryan .333 3 0 0 .250 20 0 0

Cubs' hero wears Blanco (64-54) (70-46)

Cubs 3, Cardinals 2 (11)

Cards drop opener

Matthew Leach / MLB.com
The Cards had two runners called out at the plate, which proved costly in a tightly contested opener vs. the Cubs. Joe Mather hit his sixth homer and Braden Looper tossed seven strong frames, but St. Louis' 'pen broke first in the extra-inning loss.

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Series at a Glance

 
Jim Edmonds watches his game-tying homer in the seventh. (M. Spencer Green/AP)

Edmonds powers win

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Henry Blanco came through with a bases-loaded single to drive in the winning run in the 11th inning, giving the Cubs the opener vs. their division rivals. Jim Edmonds hit a pair of home runs against his former team, his second tying the game in the seventh.
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Cubs 3, Cardinals 2

St. LouisABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Mather, LF5121010.250
Kennedy, 2B5021001.275
  Franklin, P0000000.000
Pujols, 1B4010102.349
Ludwick, RF3000211.305
Glaus, 3B5000025.267
Molina, Y, C5000020.303
Izturis, C, SS3020100.247
Looper, P2000020.273
  McClellan, P0000000.000
  a-Ankiel, PH1000001.280
  Perez, C, P0000000.000
  Miles, 2B0000000.317
Schumaker, CF4110002.300
Totals372824812 

a-Popped out for McClellan in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Izturis, C (9, Lilly).
HR: Mather (6, 3rd inning off Lilly, 0 on, 2 out).
TB: Mather 5; Kennedy 2; Pujols; Izturis, C 3; Schumaker.
RBI: Mather (13), Kennedy (25).
2-out RBI: Mather.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Ludwick; Schumaker 2; Glaus.
S: Looper.
Team LOB: 7.

BASERUNNING
SB: Izturis, C 2 (14, 2nd base off Samardzija/Soto, 3rd base off Samardzija/Soto).
CS: Pujols (2, 2nd base by Samardzija/Blanco, H), Izturis, C (4, home by Lilly/Soto).

FIELDING
E: Kennedy (7, throw).
DP: (Pujols-Izturis, C-Pujols).
 
Chi CubsABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Soriano, LF5000010.293
Theriot, SS5020000.315
Lee, 1B4110112.292
Ramirez, A, 3B4020101.278
Fukudome, RF4000114.273
Soto, C4020010.280
  1-Cedeno, PR0000000.279
  Blanco, H, C1011000.300
Edmonds, CF4222002.247
DeRosa, 2B4000011.275
Lilly, P3000010.174
  Marmol, P0000000.000
  Samardzija, P0000000.000
  a-Ward, PH1000000.224
  Howry, P0000000.000
Totals3931033610 

a-Flied out for Samardzija in the 10th.
1-Ran for Soto in the 9th.

BATTING
HR: Edmonds 2 (15, 2nd inning off Looper, 0 on, 1 out; 7th inning off Looper, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Theriot 2; Lee; Ramirez, A 2; Soto 2; Blanco, H; Edmonds 8.
RBI: Edmonds 2 (44), Blanco, H (7).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Fukudome 2; DeRosa.
GIDP: Edmonds.
Team LOB: 9.

FIELDING
E: Edmonds (5, throw).
Outfield assists: Soriano (Mather at home).
DP: (Soriano-Soto).
 
St. LouisIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Looper 7.06221324.20
McClellan 1.01000202.73
Perez, C 1.01000103.76
Franklin (L, 4-5)1.02112003.65
 
Chi CubsIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Lilly 7.17222414.26
Marmol 0.20001103.00
Samardzija 2.01001101.59
Howry (W, 5-4)1.00000205.20

Franklin pitched to 4 batters in the 11th.

WP: Marmol.
IBB: Fukudome (by Franklin), Pujols (by Lilly), Ludwick (by Marmol).
Pitches-strikes: Looper 96-60, McClellan 15-11, Perez, C 20-12, Franklin 28-14, Lilly 83-58, Marmol 15-5, Samardzija 32-17, Howry 14-8.
Groundouts-flyouts: Looper 9-9, McClellan 1-0, Perez, C 2-0, Franklin 1-2, Lilly 7-9, Marmol 0-1, Samardzija 3-1, Howry 1-0.
Batters faced: Looper 27, McClellan 4, Perez, C 4, Franklin 7, Lilly 29, Marmol 3, Samardzija 7, Howry 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Marmol 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Paul Nauert. 1B: James Hoye. 2B: Tom Hallion. 3B: Brian O'Nora.
Weather: 72 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 12 mph, In from RF.
T: 3:08.
Att: 41,539.
August 8, 2008

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner