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Westbrook takes the ball for Cardinals in Cincinnati

Apr 9, 2012 - 2:50 PM (Sports Network) - Veteran right-hander Jake Westbrook makes his eighth career start against the Cincinnati Reds tonight when the St. Louis Cardinals visit Great American Ball Park for the opener of a three-game series between National League Central rivals.

Westbrook, a veteran of 266 appearances with three teams since debuting in 2000, is 2-1 against the Reds with a 4.39 earned run average in 41 innings across eight appearances.

He's allowed 46 hits and struck out 27 batters while walking 12 and surrendering 20 runs.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder was 12-9 in 33 starts with the World Series champion Cardinals last season with a 4.66 ERA.

Cincinnati counters with former No. 1 draft pick Homer Bailey, who makes his 2012 debut and faces the Cardinals for the 10th time in 79 career starts. Bailey is 2-5 against St. Louis with a 5.64 ERA in 44 2/3 innings.

He won nine of 16 decisions with the Reds last season with a 4.43 ERA in 132 innings.

The 25-year-old Texan was the seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft and has won eight, four and nine games in his last three seasons.

On Sunday in Milwaukee, Carlos Beltran went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, and the Cardinals used another offensive outburst to rout the Brewers, 9-3. Matt Holliday and Rafael Furcal each scored twice and knocked in a run for St. Louis.

The Cardinals were shut out by Zack Greinke on Saturday but scored 11 runs on Friday to win the three-game series.

Lance Lynn (1-0) was strong in his first start in place of the injured Chris Carpenter, tossing 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, striking out eight and issuing one walk with two hits.

In Cincinnati, Jay Bruce launched a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and Scott Rolen knocked in the winning run with an infield single a few batters later as the Reds escaped with a 6-5 win over the Marlins.

Bruce finished 2-for-4 with two solo homers and three RBI and Brandon Phillips also recorded two hits for Cincinnati, which won the rubber match of its opening three-game series.

Aroldis Chapman (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief to get the win. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo allowed five runs -- four earned -- on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Cincinnati was 9-6 against the Cards last season.