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Cardinals-Dodgers Preview

Jun 7, 2010 - 5:15 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

St. Louis (33-23) at Los Angeles (32-24), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals' return to the postseason was spoiled by the Los Angeles Dodgers last fall.

The teams will meet Monday night for the first time since the Dodgers swept the Cardinals in a 2009 division series as they open a three-game set in Los Angeles.

St. Louis (33-24) won 91 games last season to capture its first NL Central crown since winning the franchise's 10th World Series title in 2006. Los Angeles (33-24), though, made the playoff appearance a short one with a three-game sweep as Andre Ethier and Rafael Furcal each went a combined 6 for 12.

The Cardinals totaled six runs in the series. Albert Pujols was held to three singles in 10 at-bats while Matt Holliday went 2 for 12 with St. Louis' lone homer.

Ethier is trying to recapture the form he showed before going on the disabled list May 18 with a fractured right pinkie. He's 5 for 28 in seven games since returning, as his average has dropped from .392 to .353.

The Dodgers have won six of eight, with each victory coming by one run. Four of those wins have come in their final at-bat, including Sunday's 5-4, 11-inning victory over Atlanta.

Both the Braves and Los Angeles went scoreless from the sixth inning until the pivotal 11th, when rookie catcher A.J. Ellis delivered an RBI single.

"We were running out of bodies, so we were happy we were able to get it done when we did," Ellis said.

The Dodgers bullpen, which had yielded six runs in Saturday's 9-3 loss, bounced back Sunday as five relievers combined for six scoreless innings.

The Cardinals completed a 4-2 homestand with a 4-3, 10-inning loss to Milwaukee on Sunday. Center fielder Colby Rasmus homered to lead off the third inning, but left the game at the end of the sixth with tightness in his left calf. No status is known for Rasmus, who is 11 for 22 over his last six games.

Third baseman David Freese grounded out as a pinch hitter after twisting his ankle Saturday. He is expected to be limited to pinch-hitting duty until Friday.

Both teams will start inexperienced pitchers.

Rookie Carlos Monasterios (2-0, 1.87 ERA) will make his fourth start for Los Angeles after going 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in the first three, though he has yet to last longer than five innings. The right-hander yielded two hits without a walk over five innings of a 1-0, 14-inning win over Arizona on Wednesday.

St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said he is leaning towards starting Blake Hawksworth over P.J. Walters for the series opener.

This would be the first major league start for Hawksworth, who is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA in 18 relief appearances. The right-hander made two relief appearances against the Dodgers as a rookie last season, allowing one run over four innings.

Walters (1-0, 6.23) allowed seven runs and eight hits over four innings and did not receive a decision in a 9-8 loss to Cincinnati on Tuesday.