ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (82-76, 2nd in NL Central)
Last Series vs. Rockies: July 6-8, 2010 (0-3 series loss at Coors Field)
Perhaps THE high point of Colorado's season - as well as what was perhaps the lowest point in that of the Cardinals - came in the opening game of the series, in which the Rockies stormed back from a 9-1 deficit to win 12-9. The second game didn't go without some LoDo magic either, as the Cardinals squandered leads of 5-0 and 7-4 on their way to a second straight defeat via walk-off home run. The finale featured two of the NL's best pitchers - at the time, at least - as Chris Carpenter and Ubaldo Jimenez squared off. Jimenez won the battle, going eight innings and allowing a run on three hits while striking out six as the Rockies won 4-2, garnering a sweep in the process. The Cardinals' notable offensive performers included Matt Holliday (6-for-13, 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI) and Jon Jay (6-for-10, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI). Albert Pujols was relatively held in check, as he was 3-for-13 in the series, with two doubles.
Last Two Series Results: W 2-1 at Chicago (NL), W 2-1 vs. Pittsburgh
The Cards have played better of late despite faltering immensely down the stretch. Over the past couple of series, their offense has been led by Pujols (as usual), with his 1.386 OPS, and backup catcher Matt Pagnozzi, who has posted a 1.300 OPS. Despite Colorado's recent troubles, the upcoming series doesn't look favorable for St. Louis, as they won't be getting starts from Adam Wainwright or Jaime Garcia - both of whom have been terrific on the mound in 2010.
Thursday-Sunday: 4-game series @ Busch Stadium
Expected Pitching Match-ups
Thursday, 30 September 2010 @ 6:15 p.m. MT
Friday, 1 October 2010 @ 6:15 p.m. MT
Saturday, 2 October 2010 @ 11:10 a.m. MT
Sunday, 3 October 2010 @ 12:15 p.m. MT
Expected Lineup
| Player | Pos | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA |
| Skip Schumaker | 2B | .263 | .329 | .339 | .669 | .076 | .294 | .300 |
| Jon Jay | RF | .298 | .358 | .421 | .779 | .123 | .348 | .340 |
| Albert Pujols | 1B | .313 | .414 | .600 | 1.015 | .287 | .298 | .420 |
| Matt Holliday | LF | .311 | .388 | .536 | .925 | .225 | .329 | .398 |
| Colby Rasmus | CF | .276 | .360 | .501 | .861 | .225 | .354 | .366 |
| Daniel Descalso | 3B | .269 | .345 | .346 | .691 | .077 | .304 | .323 |
| Yadier Molina | C | .262 | .329 | .342 | .671 | .080 | .281 | .299 |
| Brendan Ryan | SS | .221 | .275 | .291 | .567 | .070 | .251 | .252 |
Bench
| Player | Pos | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA |
| Bryan Anderson | C | .281 | .314 | .344 | .658 | .063 | .346 | .292 |
| Steven Hill | C | .333 | .333 | 1.333 | 1.667 | 1.000 | .000 | .687 |
| Matt Pagnozzi | C | .333 | .357 | .519 | .876 | .185 | .381 | .380 |
| Pedro Feliz | 3B | .214 | .233 | .259 | .492 | .045 | .225 | .219 |
| Tyler Greene | Util | .228 | .331 | .337 | .667 | .109 | .273 | .296 |
| Mark Hamilton | IF | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 | .000 | .286 | .179 |
| Aaron Miles | IF | .291 | .322 | .328 | .650 | .037 | .320 | .285 |
| Allen Craig | OF | .243 | .295 | .417 | .712 | .175 | .273 | .303 |
| Joe Mather | OF | .204 | .232 | .278 | .510 | .074 | .256 | .231 |
| Nick Stavinoha | OF | .261 | .290 | .345 | .635 | .084 | .322 | .283 |
| Randy Winn | OF | .255 | .312 | .390 | .702 | .132 | .277 | .314 |
Closer
Injuries