Astros-Cardinals Preview

5/28/2008 12:45 AM

By DAN PIERINGER
STATS Writer

The Houston Astros caught up to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central standings by beating them on Tuesday night. To overtake them for second place in the division, they'll need a win against a pitcher they've never beaten.

Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the Cardinals as they continue their three-game series against the Astros at Busch Stadium on Wednesday night.

Houston and St. Louis have identical 30-23 records, trailing the first-place Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2 games. The Cardinals, though, have to like their chances of holding onto second place with Wainwright (4-2, 3.06 ERA) looking to stay perfect - both at home and against the Astros.

The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in five starts at Busch Stadium - all wins. He's been just as effective in four career starts against Houston, going 3-0 with a 2.17 ERA in four victories.

That includes the only complete-game win of Wainwright's career on April 26. He held the Astros to five hits in the 4-3 victory, which featured a benches-clearing incident after Wainwright threw behind Houston catcher Brad Ausmus.

"That guy is one of the best pitchers in the league," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "He doesn't have control problems."

Though Wainwright has been the most consistent pitcher in the St. Louis rotation, his record doesn't reflect it. He held the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run and five hits in seven innings of a 2-1 road victory on Friday - his first win in five May starts despite his 3.38 ERA in that stretch.

"The wins haven't been there for him, but the performance has," Cardinals second baseman Adam Kennedy said. "He's pitched great. He should have about six or seven wins by now. It just hasn't worked out."

Astros first baseman Lance Berkman, batting .483 with eight homers, 21 RBIs and 30 runs scored this month, is 5-for-15 with two homers and five strikeouts in his career against Wainwright.

Berkman scored three runs and Astros outfielder Hunter Pence had the first five-hit game of his career as Houston beat St. Louis 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Pence has four career four-hit games, including one against the Cardinals that he claims not to remember.

"Once it's over with I try to move on to the next day," said Pence batting .342 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 19 career games against St. Louis. "Today was just one of those days where the ball found holes. I hit some ground balls right where they weren't standing, and sometimes you're going to have a game like I had."

Pence hopes to continue his success against the Cardinals for Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (1-0, 2.31), who was activated from the disabled list to make his first start since April 19.

The left-hander, who was sidelined by a strained right groin, threw 78 pitches over six innings in his only rehab start, allowing one run and four hits for Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday.

Rodriguez is 1-4 with a 5.25 ERA in seven career games against the Cardinals, but held them to one run in eight innings to win 18-1 in his only career start in St. Louis on Sept. 20.

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who had four hits Tuesday and is 12-for-24 with four homers against the Astros this season, is just 1-for-12 with two walks lifetime against Rodriguez.