NewsCards aim to win 10th straight at home
St. Louis (13-5) vs. Chicago (8-8), 1:15 p.m. CT
Tony La Russa isn't taking anything for granted despite his club's hot start. (Getty)
By B.J. Rains / MLB.com
04/25/09 10:17 PM ET
Don't try talking to Cardinals manager Tony La Russa about his team's current nine-game home winning streak. "You know I can't talk about that," La Russa said. But while La Russa isn't, the rest of baseball certainly is. The Cardinals have won nine consecutive home games and have a 10-2 home record. It's their best start at home since 1968, when they started 10-1 before eventually winning the National League pennant. Not wanting to jinx the streak heading into the series finale against the Cubs on Sunday, the superstitious La Russa didn't want to take anything for granted. "The baseball gods have knocked me to the ground too many times over the years," La Russa said. "I don't ever, ever do anything but just bow and say, 'I know you're up there and I'm not going to mess with you.'" The Cardinals are doing it with contributions from every spot in the lineup. They continue to lead all of baseball with a .303 batting average and also lead the NL in runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, doubles, RBIs and total bases. St. Louis' pitching staff has been strong, as well, with the second-best ERA in the NL at 3.58. "We're young, but we've got some talent," said first baseman Albert Pujols. "Nobody is expecting us to have a great year. There's no pressure." A win Sunday would give the Cardinals their first perfect homestand of more than one series since Aug. 31-Sept. 5, 2004. Pitching matchupCHC: RHP Rich Harden (1-1, 4.20 ERA)
Harden showed he's a hearty Canadian in his last start. He shrugged off 40-degree temperatures at Wrigley Field to strike out eight over six innings against the Reds. The right-hander wore short sleeves despite the cold and gave up three hits. It was a much improved outing from his previous start, when he lasted three innings. Harden won his only start against the Cardinals last season. STL: RHP Todd Wellemeyer (1-1, 5.29 ERA)
Just as it seemed Wellemeyer had gotten sorted out after an iffy spring and start of the season, he was a bit shaky again on Tuesday. As he pointed out, though, some of what happened against him on Tuesday was a matter of ground balls finding holes. Additionally, Wellemeyer hasn't historically done well on long rest, and he had seven days between starts last time out. He'll need to be better against a potent Cubs team, but he's pitched very well against his old team. Tidbits
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to nine games on Saturday. ... Pujols is one grand slam away from tying Stan Musial for the most in Cardinals history with nine. ... The Cardinals have won 35 straight games against the Cubs when scoring eight or more runs. ... A win Sunday would match the Redbirds' best start since 2005, when they opened 14-5. Tickets
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• Monday: Cardinals (Joel Pineiro, 3-0, 4.12) at Braves (Jair Jurrjens, 2-1, 1.42), 6:00 p.m. CT
• Tuesday: Cardinals (Kyle Lohse, 3-0, 2.42) at Braves (Jo-Jo Reyes, 0-1, 7.94), 6:00 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Cardinals (TBD) at Braves (Javier Vazquez, 2-1, 2.63), 6:00 p.m. CT
B.J. Rains is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
