AFTER GETTING RAINED OUT ON SUNDAY THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS APPEARED WELL RESTED AS THEY OPENED A HUGE THREE GAME SERIES WITH THE NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL LEADING CINCINNATI REDS.
THE CARDINALS TOOK GAME ONE 7-3 BEHIND A HUGE FOURTH INNING AND ANOTHER SOLID DAY FROM PITCHER CHRIS CARPENTER.
SKIP SCHUMAKER HIT HIS FIRST CAREER GRAND SLAM IN A SEVEN RUN FOURTH INNING. THE CARDINALS SENT 12 BATTERS TO THE PLATE IN THE INNING.
MATT HOLIDAY, ALBERT PUJOLS AND COLBY RASMUS EACH ADDED ONE RBI IN THE FOURTH AS WELL.
ON THE MOUND CARPENTER WENT SEVEN INNINGS ALLOWING TWO RUNS ON FIVE HITS WHILE STRIKING OUT FIVE AND WALKING THREE. THE REDS GOT BOTH OF THEIR RUNS OFF CARPENTER IN HIS SEVENTH AND FINAL INNING ON THE MOUND.
CINCINNATI STARTER ROOKIE MIKE LEAKE WENT THREE AND TWO THIRDS INNINGS ALLOWING ALL SEVEN RUNS ON NINE HITS AND STRIKING OUT TWO IN FALLING TO 7-4 ON THE YEAR.
THE WIN MOVES ST. LOUIS TO WITHIN ONE GAME OF THE REDS IN THE N-L CENTRAL. GAME TWO OF THE SERIES TONIGHT HAS THE CARDINALS STARTING JAMIE GARCIA WHO IS 9-5. THE REDS WILL SEND OUT 11-2 JOHNNY CUETO.
FIRST PITCH IS SET FOR 6:10 AT GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK.
