• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Pujols hopes to get Cardinals rolling again

May 13, 2008 - 1:48 PM Pittsburgh (18-20) at St Louis (23-17) 8:15 pm EDT

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - Albert Pujols has not cooled off very much but the St. Louis Cardinals have started to struggle a little bit.

Pujols will look to get the Cardinals back on track Tuesday when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a three-game series, hoping to avoid a third straight loss.

The 2005 National League MVP, the 28-year-old Pujols was not in the lineup Monday when St. Louis suffered an 8-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Pujols is currently on an 11-game hitting streak, collecting a hit in 20 of his previous 21 contests and reaching base safely in every game he has played in this season. He is batting .348 with seven home runs and a club-high 25 RBI this season.

Kyle Lohse (3-2, 4.87 ERA) will take the mound for the Cardinals, who have lost five of their last six contest. The righthander has lost each of his last two starts.

Lohse was roughed up for seven runs on eight hits and five walks over four innings during Thursday's 9-3 setback to the Colorado Rockies.

The Pirates will counter with lefthander Phil Dumatrait (1-1, 3.86), who will make his third start of the season and eighth career. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless frames in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants, allowing just three hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

Pittsburgh split a doubleheader with the Atlanta Braves on Monday, picking up their sixth straight win in the first game before falling in their second.