• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Mulder makes first start of season for Cardinals

Jul 9, 2008 - 12:46 PM St. Louis (51-40) at Philadelphia (48-43) 7:05 pm EDT

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Following a successful campaign in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals, Mark Mulder likely felt it would be the first of many successful seasons. A series of injuries, however, have disrupted those plans.

The Cardinals give Mulder his first start in nearly 10 months on Wednesday when they continue their three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mulder (0-0, 13.50 ERA), who has made two relief appearances this season, hasn't pitched a full season in the majors since 2005 - his first season with the Cardinals - when he went 16-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 32 starts.

The lefthander is just 6-10 with a 7.68 ERA in 20 starts since, with problems in his throwing shoulder cutting short each of his last three seasons. Mulder was placed on the disabled list before the start of the season to rehab from rotator cuff surgery and was not recalled by the team until June 27.

After allowing two hits over a scoreless frame in his season debut on June 30, the two-time All-Star and 2001 AL Cy Young runner-up surrendered two runs over one-third of an inning in his last relief outing - an 8-7 win last Wednesday against the New York Mets.

The slumping Phillies, mired in a four-game skid, will counter with rookie J.A. Happ (0-0, 3.86), who will make just his second start of the season.

The lefthander permitted two runs and three hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 4.2 innings, coming just one out short of posting his first career win in Friday's 3-2 win over the Mets.