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Carpenter aims for sixth straight win

Sep 21, 2006 - 1:25 PM St Louis (80-70) at Houston (73-78) 8:05 pm EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) - Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter goes for his sixth straight win as the St. Louis Cardinals open a four-game series against the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Last Saturday, Carpenter recorded his 100th career victory with a 6-1 triumph over the San Francisco Giants. The righthander yielded just a run and five hits in seven innings, striking out nine and walking two.

In his last seven starts, Carpenter (15-6, 2.79 ERA) has posted a stellar 1.58 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 3.52 ERA against the Astros this season and 3-1 with a 2.35 career ERA at Minute Maid Park.

The major league leader in ERA tries to help the Cardinals bounce back from a 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the rubber game of a three-game series Wednesday. Geoff Jenkins hit the game-winning solo homer in the ninth, preventing St. Louis from reducing its magic number to four.

Houston turns to Andy Pettitte (13-13, 4.37) as it looks to avenge a series loss against St. Louis from September 11-14. In the second matchup of that set, the lefthander did not factor in a 6-5 shortcoming to the Cardinals. He was responsible for two runs and a hit before departing with two outs in the third due to an elbow injury.

Pettitte owns a 2-0 mark with a 4.43 ERA in four starts this year against the Cards, against whom he is 3-1 lifetime with a 2.92 ERA.

With a 7-2 victory Wednesday, the Astros captured the rubber game of a three-game series over the Cincinnati Reds. Roger Clemens struck out six in six scoreless innings and Luke Scott finished with four RBI.