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Tigers-Cardinals Preview

Jun 15, 2009 - 6:55 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Detroit (34-29) at St. Louis (34-30), 8:15 p.m. EDT

Although Albert Pujols is enjoying another MVP-caliber season, his St. Louis Cardinals are struggling to score runs.

It's not going to get any easier against Detroit's Justin Verlander.

The Tigers ace looks to continue his recent dominance Tuesday night in AL Central-leading Detroit's first game in St. Louis since losing the 2006 World Series.

The Cardinals (34-30) have lost seven of their last 10 games, averaging 2.1 runs in those defeats. In Sunday's 3-0 loss to Cleveland, St. Louis was no-hit through seven innings by reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee before finishing with three.

"I think we're pretty close to where we need to be, even though we just got (three-hit)," Skip Schumaker told the Cardinals' official Web site. "We have the type of lineup that I really do believe in."

Pujols, the all-time leader in interleague batting average (.352) among players with at least 300 plate appearances, finished 0 for 3 with a walk Sunday after going 5 for 8 with three home runs, a double and four RBIs in his previous two games.

Pujols, who ranks among the NL leaders in homers (22), RBIs (57), on-base percentage (.442) and slugging (.689), has feasted on Detroit (34-29) pitching, but it hasn't helped the Cardinals get in the win column.

In seven regular-season games against the Tigers since 2006, Pujols is batting .630 (17 for 27) with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs, but St. Louis has lost each time. The two-time NL MVP is 3 for 5 with a double versus Verlander (7-2, 3.02 ERA) in the regular season and homered off him in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series, which the Cardinals won in five games.

Verlander lost both starts versus St. Louis in that World Series, but after getting off to a slow start in 2009, he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past seven weeks.

The right-hander went 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his first four starts, but is 7-0 with a major league-low 1.10 ERA in nine outings since April 27, yielding one run or fewer in seven of them. Verlander pitched his second complete game of the season in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, allowing six hits while striking out nine and walking one.

"It's hard to describe how well he pitched," manager Jim Leyland told the Tigers' official Web site. "Just absolutely tremendous."

Although Verlander struggled in the World Series, he's had no trouble against the NL lately.

He's 8-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 10 career interleague starts, including two wins and a 3.86 ERA versus St. Louis.

The Tigers have won five of six interleague games against the Cardinals - all in Detroit - since losing the World Series.

Similarly to St. Louis, Detroit is also in the midst of an offensive slump.

The Tigers, who were limited to five hits in Sunday's 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh, have plated 14 runs while batting .220 in their last five games - three of them losses.

Detroit's offense hopes to get back on track against Adam Wainwright (6-4, 3.49), who is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his last three starts after going 2-1 with a 1.14 ERA in his previous three. Wainwright got credit for last Wednesday's 13-4 win at Florida, but allowed four runs and a season-high 11 hits in seven innings.

This will be the right-hander's first career start against the Tigers. As a rookie in 2006, Wainwright gave up two hits and struck out five in three scoreless innings of relief over three World Series games and earned the save in the clincher.