St. Louis enters off a 6-2 win over the Mets that allowed the Cards to avoid a sweep. Albert Pujols' two-run homer in the first inning gave the Cardinals a lead they would not relinquish. It was only the second home run in 75 first-inning at-bats this season for Pujols, whose first-inning batting average this year is just.200. Last season, Albert led the majors with 12 first-inning home runs and his first-inning batting average was.321. And if you need any proof that the Cards are the slowest team in the majors, check this out: Yadier Molina's steal of second base in the ninth inning was the first steal for the Cardinals in 34 games. The string of 33 straight games without a steal was the longest for the Cardinals since 1952. It was the longest drought by any major-league team since the 1977 Cleveland Indians.

The Pirates were off Thursday after taking two of three against the Reds. Pittsburgh team president Tim Coonelly says his team is prepared to add payroll by acquiring players in trade, so a move could happen any deal to bolster the Pirates’ playoff chances. Pittsburgh and St. Louis have played only three times this season (Pittsburgh leads 2-1) and thus have 13 remaining games against each other including tonight’s.

The starters tonight are Cardinals RHP Chris Carpenter (5-7, 3.69) vs. Pirates LHP Paul Maholm (6-9, 3.06). The Cardinals have won Carpenter's last five starts, and he has a 1.66 ERA in that span. Maholm, meanwhile, is 4-0 with a 0.84 ERA in his last five starts at home.

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