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Cardinals aim to continue offensive surge

Apr 24, 2007 - 2:29 PM Cincinnati (9-10) at St Louis (8-10) 8:10 pm EDT

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The middle of the lineup is starting to produce for the St. Louis Cardinals, who will open a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.

With their top three run producers struggling, the Cardinals scored only 50 runs in their first 17 games. Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds started slowly, combining for just 18 RBI and a .199 (32-for-161) batting average, but all three homered and made big contributions in a 12-9, 10-inning victory on Sunday over the Chicago Cubs.

Pujols hit a three-run home run, Rolen had a career-best five hits and Edmonds added two RBI as St. Louis pounded out a season-high 17 hits at Wrigley Field.

Kip Wells (1-3, 3.12 ERA), who has allowed three earned runs or fewer three times while lasting at least six innings in all four starts, hopes for some more run support when he makes his fifth start of the season for St. Louis. The righthander had his worst start of the season last Thursday in a 6-2 loss at San Francisco, yielding four earned runs and six hits in six innings.

Wells has lost three straight decisions against the Reds and is 2-8 with a 4.45 ERA in 17 career starts.

Cincinnati counters with Aaron Harang (2-0, 4.37), who had a strong outing last Wednesday against Houston but did not receive a decision. The reigning National League strikeout king allowed one run and three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over six innings as the Reds suffered a 7-2 loss - their first defeat in Harang's four starts.

Harang is 3-6 with a 4.78 ERA in 11 career starts against the Cardinals. He is 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA in three starts at the new Busch Stadium.

Pujols is batting .407 (11-for-27) against Harang but Rolen and Edmonds are a combined 8-for-48 (.167) vs. the righthander.