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Wellemeyer, Cardinals look to close gap vs. Cubs

Jul 6, 2008 - 1:11 PM CHI CUBS (52-36) at ST LOUIS (50-39), 3:15 pm EDT

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Todd Wellemeyer and the St. Louis Cardinals are making things very tight in the National League Central.

Wellemeyer and the Cardinals aim to close out their homestand on a winning note when they face the archrival Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

St. Louis rallied for a 5-4 victory over Chicago on Saturday as it scored three runs off Cubs closer Kerry Wood in the ninth inning. Outfielder Rick Ankiel slapped a two-out, two-run single to right field in the bottom of the ninth for the winning margin. The win pulled the Cards within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Cubs.

Having split the first six games of their homestand, the Cardinals hand the ball to Wellemeyer (7-3, 3.86 ERA), who is is 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in his last three starts.

Wellemeyer, the NL Pitcher of the Month for May, was tagged for six runs and 12 hits in a 7-4 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday. The six-year veteran, who spent his first three seasons with the Cubs, won his only career start against Chicago, giving up two runs and three hits in five innings of a 5-3 victory on May 4.

The Cubs, who are 3-6 on a 10-game road trip, have lost nine of their last 12 games away from Wrigley Field.

The visitors send Sean Marshall (0-2, 4.87) to the mound for his third start of the season.

The lefthander gave up three runs and five hits over seven innings in a 5-1 loss to the cross-town rival Chicago White Sox last Sunday.

Eight of the last nine games between the teams have been decided by two runs or less.