Braves 3 - 4 Cardinals
Final
  for this game

Cardinals send Garcia to mound vs. Braves

Sep 10, 2011 - 2:59 PM

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(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals are hoping Jaime Garcia's past success against teams from the NL East continues tonight.

Garcia, who is 5-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 12 career starts (14 appearances) vs. NL East foes, heads to the mound tonight against the Atlanta Braves in the middle portion of a three-game series.

The Cardinals are in need of a sweep this weekend if they are to get within striking distance in the National League wild card race. They started on the right foot last night with a 4-3 win in 10 innings, getting within 6 1/2 games of wild card-leading Atlanta and seven of NL Central-leading Milwaukee.

But with time running out on a chance for the Cardinals to make the playoffs, they turn to Garcia, who is coming off a strong outing against Cincinnati a week ago. He limited the Reds to one earned run over six innings when he snapped a six-game winless (0-3) stretch.

Garcia is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two games against the Braves.

Derek Lowe certainly hasn't fared well in his career against the Cardinals, as evidenced by a 1-7 mark with a 6.89 ERA in his nine starts. The sinkerball specialist was pounded for eight hits and five earned runs in a 9-0 loss at Philadelphia Monday.

Last night in the opener of this set, Albert Pujols tied the game in the bottom of the ninth and Nick Punto's sacrifice fly in the 10th gave the Cardinals the win.

"Punto's at-bat was a classic in my opinion," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. "You're not going to win a lot of games coming from behind against them."

Jason Motte (4-2) tossed a 1-2-3 top of the 10th inning to earn the win and help St. Louis get within 6 1/2 games of Atlanta for the NL wild card. The Cardinals also sit seven games back of the Brewers for first place in the NL Central.

Craig Kimbrel blew his sixth save of the year in the ninth, and Scott Linebrink (4-3) gave up the game-deciding run.

The runs by Kimbrel snapped his 37 2/3 inning scoreless streak and his stretch of 25 straight converted saves.

"When you put guys on for free it always seems it comes back to get you," Kimbrel said.

Michael Bourn went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in the Braves' sixth loss in their last nine games.

St. Louis is 3-1 this season vs. the Braves and has captured nine of the past 12 meetings.






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