The Cardinals won eight of their first 13 games, with a striking trend developing. Starting pitchers were 8-1 and relievers 0-4, although those in the latter group were used more than they should have been because the starters had more trouble pitching deeper in the game in the second week of the season than they did the first week.
PLAYER NEWS: --OF Rick Ankiel, hitting .179 when the week began, has shot to .250 on the strength of two three-hit games in the last three. "Mostly when he takes pitches that are out of the strike one, it works," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's an aggressive guy, so you don't want him to lose his aggressiveness, but you've got to have a good strike zone."
--RHP Kyle Lohse, Thursday's winner, hasn't been as good in his last two starts as he was in his first two, when he went past 100 pitches each time. But he is 3-0 overall, and in his Cardinals career at Busch Stadium he is 11-2.
The negative is that he has lasted just five innings in each of his last two outings, with Thursday's early dismissal hastened by a twisted right knee.
--C Jason LaRue, who has had five hits in his two starts, had his first three-hit game Thursday since July 3, 2007, when he was with Seattle. LaRue won't play much with Gold Glover Yadier Molina ahead of him, but the Cardinals are 2-0 in his starts this year.
MEDICAL WATCH:
RHP Kyle Lohse (twisted right knee) was hurt during the April 23 game. He will have an MRI on April 24.
RHP Chris Carpenter (torn left oblique muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list April 15. He is likely out six to eight weeks.
3B Troy Glaus (right shoulder surgery in January 2009) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He didn't heal as quickly as was hoped, and he may not play before July.
LHP Jaime Garcia (Tommy John elbow surgery in September 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He likely will miss all or nearly all of the 2009 season.
ROTATION:
RHP Adam Wainwright
RHP Kyle Lohse
RHP Todd Wellemeyer
RHP Joel Pineiro
RHP Mitchell Boggs
BULLPEN:
RHP Jason Motte (closer)
RHP Ryan Franklin
RHP Kyle McClellan
RHP Chris Perez
LHP Dennys Reyes
LHP Trever Miller
RHP Blaine Boyer
RHP P.J. Walters
CATCHERS:
Yadier Molina
Jason LaRue
INFIELDERS:
1B Albert Pujols
2B Skip Schumaker
SS Khalil Greene
3B Brian Barden
INF Brendan Ryan
INF Joe Thurston
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Chris Duncan
CF Rick Ankiel
RF Ryan Ludwick
OF Colby Rasmus
