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Reds-Cardinals Preview

May 1, 2010 - 10:55 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Cincinnati (12-11) at St. Louis (15-8), 2:15 p.m. EDT

After the Cincinnati Reds snapped the St. Louis Cardinals' string of five straight victories late Friday night, the NL Central-leading Cardinals returned the favor about 15 hours later.

Chris Carpenter hopes at least one streak will survive the three-game set.

The St. Louis ace looks to win his seventh consecutive start against Cincinnati and pitch the Cardinals to their seventh series win of the season Sunday at Busch Stadium.

The Reds' longest winning streak of the season pulled them within three games of St. Louis after a 3-2 victory in the rain-delayed series opener, but the Cardinals cooled them off by scoring three runs in the eighth inning of Saturday afternoon's 6-3 victory.

"Knowing we've got to come around and play another one real early, it was tough, especially after losing," third baseman David Freese said. "That shows the kind of team we have."

Freese stayed red-hot for St. Louis, going 2 for 4 with a double and a home run. The 27-year-old rookie is 8 for 14 (.571) with two homers and nine RBIs in his last four games.

He has helped St. Louis (16-8) win six of its last seven to bolster an early lead as it chases a second consecutive division crown. The Cardinals have won six of their first seven series, including all three at home, where they've gone 9-3.

The club has to like its chances of adding to that total with Carpenter (3-0, 3.48 ERA) on the mound. The 2005 NL Cy Young winner is coming off three straight quality starts, racking up 24 strikeouts in that stretch. He held Atlanta to two runs and three hits in six innings of the Cardinals' 5-4 win on Tuesday.

Carpenter has been brilliant in winning his last six starts against the Reds, compiling a 1.26 ERA and two complete games during a streak that dates back to the 2006 season.

Three of the victories came against Cincinnati's Aaron Harang - including one on opening day April 5, when Carpenter allowed two runs in six innings of the Cardinals' 11-6 win.

Harang (1-3, 7.16) lasted five innings and gave up four runs - three earned - while falling to 7-11 with a 4.57 ERA in his career against St. Louis.

The Reds' right-hander hopes to build on his first win of 2010. Harang, who got off to a sluggish start and has a major league-high 34 losses since the start of 2008, allowed two runs in six innings of Tuesday's 6-2 win at Houston.

"We talked about it and (pitching coach) Bryan (Price) seemed to think too it was maybe being a little more passive lately instead of just being old me, being aggressive," Harang said. "We kind of figured that out he said: 'Go out and be the old you and challenge guys and see what happens.'"

Strong pitching carried Cincinnati (12-12) during its five-game winning streak, during which the Reds allowed 14 total runs.

But the Cardinals totaled five runs in their final two offensive innings Saturday. Reds pitchers walked seven batters in the game, forcing in a pair of insurance runs with free passes in the eighth.

"The guys were a little spent," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "You could tell when we started walking people. The gates opened up."

Cincinnati still has a chance at its first series victory in St. Louis since it swept a three-game set there from June 5-7, 2006.