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Astros-Cardinals Preview

Apr 12, 2010 - 4:54 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Houston (0-5) at St. Louis (4-1), 4:15 p.m. EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season ended with a disappointing loss at Busch Stadium. The defending NL Central champs could enjoy plenty of victories at home this year with an entire season of Matt Holliday batting behind Albert Pujols.

After a 4-2 trip, the Cardinals play their home opener Monday afternoon when right-hander Adam Wainwright faces a Houston Astros club off to its worst start in 27 years.

St. Louis advanced to the postseason in 2009 for the seventh time in 10 seasons, but were swept in the division series by the Dodgers, losing 5-1 in Game 3 at Busch Stadium.

Pujols went 3 for 10 with no homers and one RBI in the series, while Holliday, a mid-season acquisition from Oakland, hit .167 and dropped a fly ball that would have ended Game 2.

All will be forgiven if the two can continue their early-season power numbers. Pujols is batting .375 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. The two-time reigning NL MVP hit a pair of two-run home runs in Sunday's 8-7 loss to Milwaukee, including one in the ninth off all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman.

Holliday followed with the game-tying shot before Cardinals reliever Kyle McClellan served up the game-winning homer to Casey McGehee in the bottom of the frame.

Holliday is hitting .423 with three home runs and six RBIs.

That kind of offensive support could be more than enough for Wainwright (1-0, 2.57 ERA), who allowed two runs and three hits over seven innings in a 6-3 win at Cincinnati on Wednesday. Wainwright faced just 17 batters in the first five innings.

"This is how I pitched late last year," he told MLB.com. "Commanding both sides of the plate with all my pitches and letting my defense work."

Wainwright has never won his first two starts, but has enjoyed plenty of success against Houston, going 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in nine starts. He was 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA in three home starts versus the Astros in 2009.

Another quality start could spell trouble for Houston, which closed an 0-6 homestand Sunday with a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia.

A .222 team batting average and 13 runs through six games has the Astros off to their worst start since opening 0-9 in 1983.

"I'm very surprised we are 0-6," said first-year manager Brad Mills. "We have a good ballclub. We are going to keep battling."

With first baseman Lance Berkman out until at least April 20 following knee surgery, the Astros could use a boost in production from Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence, who are hitting .130 and .095, respectively.

"Lance will be back and Carlos will get going," Micheal Bourn told the Astros' official Web site. "They've proven it over and over again through the years, so we'll be behind them and we just hopefully will try to win a few on the road and get us going."

Lee, though, is 1 for 20 lifetime against Wainwright. Pence is 9 for 26 with a homer in this matchup.

Wandy Rodriguez (0-1, 4.50) gets the start for Houston after yielding three runs and seven hits over six innings in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to San Francisco.

The left-hander, 0-2 with a 2.65 ERA in three career starts in St. Louis, has fared well against Pujols, limiting the eight-time All-Star to five hits in 31 at-bats.

Holliday, though, is 6 for 19 with two homers versus Rodriguez.

St. Louis has won five straight series at home against Houston since splitting a four-game set Sept. 20-23, 2007.