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Cardinals open set with in-state rival Kansas City

Jun 17, 2011 - 3:17 PM (Sports Network) - Having one of their top sluggers back in the lineup wasn't enough to prevent the St. Louis Cardinals from avoiding their longest losing streak in nearly three years. Perhaps a meeting with their in-state rivals will help the struggling club get back on track.

The spiraling Cardinals will attempt to put a six-game skid to an end when they host the Kansas City Royals tonight at Busch Stadium in the latest edition of the I-70 Series.

St. Louis held a 2 1/2-game advantage on Milwaukee for first place in the National League Central standings just one week ago, but fell out of the division's top spot after being handed three straight losses by the Brewers last weekend at Miller Park. The Cardinals' funk continued in their subsequent trip to Washington, where the Nationals produced their first three-game sweep of Tony La Russa's squad since the 2007 season.

The Cardinals' present slide is the team's worst since they dropped seven in a row from Sept. 10-17, 2007.

Washington completed the sweep in dramatic fashion on Thursday, as Danny Espinosa belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Nationals to a 7-4 triumph.

St. Louis did overcome a 4-2 deficit late in regulation with a pair of solo home runs, one by Albert Pujols in the eighth inning and a leadoff shot by Yadier Molina in the top of the ninth. However, Ryan Zimmerman singled off Cards closer Fernando Salas in the bottom of the 10th and Michael Morse was hit by a pitch before Espinosa ended the contest with a shot into the bullpen in right field.

"The effort was outstanding to come back like we did," said La Russa afterward. "Last game of the road trip and everything, makes it a tougher loss."

On a positive note, Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday returned from a 13-game absence and went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two walks. The All-Star had been on the disabled list with a quadriceps injury.

Heading back to Busch Stadium could also aid St. Louis, which presently trails the Brewers by one game for the NL Central lead. The Cardinals are 18-12 in their ballpark so far this season and begin a nine-game homestand with tonight's matchup.

Facing the Royals, who are just 10-22 since May 12, may help as well. The Cardinals won two of three bouts from Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium last month and are 10-4 in the 14 most recent encounters between the two Missouri foes.

Kansas City is 3-3 thus far on a nine-game, three-city road trip but comes in off back-to-back defeats to AL West cellar-dweller Oakland. In Thursday's series finale, rookie Jemile Weeks knocked in three runs and Gio Gonzalez tossed six strong innings to lead the Athletics to an 8-4 victory.

The A's jumped all over Royals starter Jeff Francis in the early stages, scoring four times in the bottom of the second and twice more in the third to build a comfortable 6-0 lead.

Francis lasted only 3 1/3 innings and was tagged for six runs on nine hits while walking a pair of batters.

"Falling behind on certain guys in certain situations doesn't do me any favors," Francis said afterward. "Guys have a few more comfortable at-bats. Even when I do throw a good pitch they put some good swings on them. Execution all around I think could be a lot better."

The Royals will be counting on a longer and more effective outing from Felipe Paulino in tonight's opener. The journeyman right-hander has pitched well since coming over from Colorado in a May 26 trade, having amassed an impressive 1.29 earned run average in three starts and one relief appearance with his new team.

Paulino is still in search of his first win in a Kansas City uniform, however. He's received a no-decision in each of his three starts, including Saturday's effort at Anaheim in which he surrendered five runs -- only two that were earned -- in a five-inning stint.

The native Dominican, who has held enemy hitters to a .195 average since the trade, will be facing the Cardinals for the first time in his career and will be out to improve upon an ugly 3-15 lifetime record and 7.30 ERA on the road.

Chris Carpenter will be trying to turn around his disappointing first half of 2011 when he takes the ball for St. Louis tonight. The 2005 NL Cy Young Award honoree is just 1-6 with a 4.47 ERA in 14 starts this season, and has allowed 103 hits and 10 homers over a combined 90 2/3 innings of work.

Carpenter's latest mishap occurred Saturday in Milwaukee, with the Brewers reaching the veteran for five runs and swatting two homers in six innings of a 5-3 win. He did have a very good outing at home six days earlier, though, pitching nine innings and permitting just two runs while striking out six in a tough-luck no-decision against the Cubs.

The three-time All-Star is 5-6 with a 3.89 ERA in 16 career meetings (11 starts) with Kansas City and lost to the Royals back on May 20. In that game Carpenter was touched for three runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.