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Cards continue push towards postseason in opener with Astros

Sep 24, 2012 - 2:45 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Lance Lynn begins the final-week drive toward a playoff spot for the St. Louis Cardinals tonight when they visit the Houston Astros to open a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

The Cardinals hit the regular season's final Monday with a 2 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee in the National League wild card standings in the chase for the second of two available berths.

St. Louis, of course, won a wild card spot last season and charged through the playoffs for its second World Series title in five years.

Lynn, a 24-year-old from Illinois, enters the game on a personal three-game win streak since Sept. 7, when he dropped a 5-4 decision to the Brewers.

He tossed an inning of scoreless relief against Milwaukee to record a 5-4 win on Sept. 9, then downed the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Astros in consecutive starts on Sept. 13 and 19.

He allowed just three hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the 5-0 defeat of Houston, which raised his career record against the Astros to 3-0 in four appearances and lowered his earned run average against them to 1.47.

Lynn is 8-3 in 19 appearances away from home in 2012.

Houston replies with lefty Fernando Abad, who's lost five consecutive starts after opening the season with 30 straight relief outings.

Abad posted a 3.62 ERA in 23 1/3 innings across the 30 bullpen outings, then debuted as a starter with a 3-1 loss to the New York Mets on Aug. 25.

He's failed to pitch more than five innings in any of four starts since while losing to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, the Chicago Cubs and the Cardinals.

Against St. Louis, he pitched five innings, allowed six hits and three runs and lost a 4-1 decision on Sept. 18.

In six career meetings with the Cardinals, he's 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA.

On Sunday in Chicago, Pete Kozma homered and drove in a pair, Allen Craig added a two-run double and the Cardinals downed the Cubs, 6-3, in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Kyle Lohse (16-3) gave up three runs on five hits over six innings and set a career-high for wins in a season.

David Freese and Carlos Beltran had an RBI apiece for the Cardinals.

In Houston, A.J. Burnett tossed eight outstanding innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a five-game slide with an 8-1 thumping of the Astros in the finale of a three-game series.

Jordan Lyles (4-12) was knocked around for three runs on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts over four-plus innings for the Astros, who had their two- game winning streak snapped.

Scott Moore accounted for Houston's lone run with a home run.

The Cardinals won nine of the first 12 games between the teams in 2012, including eight in a row since June 6. St. Louis won the season series in 2011, 10-5.