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Reds-Cardinals Preview

May 31, 2010 - 1:28 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Cincinnati (30-20) at St. Louis (28-22), 4:15 p.m. EDT

Holding opponents off the scoreboard has become routine for Jaime Garcia this season, but a lack of run support has made picking up victories a more difficult task for the rookie left-hander.

Perhaps a resurgent Albert Pujols can help.

His uncharacteristic slump behind him, the reigning NL MVP and his St. Louis Cardinals teammates look to pull into a first-place tie with the visiting Cincinnati Reds as the NL Central rivals open their fourth three-game set of the season Monday.

Pujols recently went 11 straight games without an RBI, but he has emphatically ended that drought with nine RBIs in his last four games. He homered three times in Sunday's 9-1 win over the Chicago Cubs as the Cardinals took the series.

"This game is hard. This game is not easy. ... I think sometimes people take that for granted," Pujols said. "This is just another day. Tomorrow I want to contribute for my ballclub."

St. Louis (29-22) moved within one game of the Reds (30-21) because Cincinnati's four-game winning streak was snapped with a 2-0, 10-inning loss to Houston.

The Reds have still won 16 of 22. They had scored 27 runs in the first two games of the series, but they were blanked Sunday for the first time since a 6-0 loss at St. Louis on May 2.

"Some days, it seems like you can get a run any time you want to, like the last couple of days," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official website. "Today, we couldn't buy a run. It's baseball. Sometimes, there's no explanation."

Runs may be difficult to come by again for the Reds against Garcia, who has already beaten Cincinnati once, allowing two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-3 win May 14.

Garcia (4-2, 1.14 ERA) ranks second to Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez in ERA, and he hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his nine starts. Opponents have not managed a run against him in 19 innings at Busch Stadium, but Garcia is just 1-0 in three home outings because of limited run support.

The Cardinals have not scored a run for him in each of his last two starts overall, losing both despite Garcia throwing 11 shutout innings in that stretch. He pitched six innings Wednesday in a 2-1, 13-inning defeat at San Diego.

Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo (5-2, 4.30) hasn't had any problem picking up victories lately, winning his last four starts and five consecutive decisions. He has a 2.66 ERA in his last six outings.

The right-hander was wild early Wednesday against Pittsburgh, but he settled down to work 7 2-3 innings in a 4-0 victory.

"Sometimes you feel funky out there," Arroyo said. "I couldn't get a groove going. I got out of that (first inning) and my command came back. I kind of got on a roll."

Arroyo has been brilliant against the Cardinals this year, allowing three runs in 17 innings, including a seven-hitter in a 7-2 win May 16. He has started two of the Reds' four wins in the club's nine meetings with St. Louis.

Pujols has three homers and 11 RBIs against Cincinnati this year, although he is 0 for 6 against Arroyo.

The Reds lost two of three at St. Louis from April 30-May 2 and will try again for their first series victory at Busch Stadium since a three-game sweep from June 5-7, 2006.