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Brandon Phillips at it again?

By Roger Hensley/Post-Dispatch

Yappy -- who helped incite the brawl between the Cardinals and Reds last season by calling the Cardinals “whiny bitches” before a three-game in Cincinnati -– appears to be at it again.

No sooner had the Reds' plane touched down in St. Louis for this weekend’s series before Phillips took to his account to take a few jabs at St. Louis . . . though these were much tamer than last year’s comments.

Here’s what Phillips had to say in his Twitter posts:

FIRST POST: Just landed in St. Louis! (Sad face) ... But these wins will make me happy! On our way 2 the hotel & I hope its not Hilton at the BallPark! Lol

SECOND POST: My teammates ask me if I knew where some good places 2 eat at in St. Louis! I said, “Yea, come with me 2 the store 2 get some Lunchables!”

Phillips' posts on Twitter can be followed at DatDudeBP.

Bad blood on Good Friday?

By Roger Hensley

QUESTION: The Cardinals and Reds have developed quite the rivalry in recent seasons, with verbal and physical sparring involved. Do you anticipate any extracurricular activities this weekend as these two teams go head to head?

BRYAN BURWELL:

Absolutely. Unlike Cards vs. Cubs, which is nothing but an excuse to drink and hang for the fans, Cards vs. Reds is a legitimate rivalry full of division title implications and true bad blood. As long as Tony and Dusty are in the opposing dugouts, the feisty energy will always be there.

BERNIE MIKLASZ:

No, I think both teams got most of the simmering bad blood out of their system last year. Remember, after the extracurricular actvities in Cincinnati early last August the Reds came to St. Louis for a three-game series. And the Cardinals and Reds played baseball. There wasn't any ugliness. Don't get me wrong, it won't take much to reopen the old wounds. It could be in the form of a questionable brushback, a knockdown, a batter, an extra-hard . Both teams compete with pride. Both managers are relentless. An eruption of temper is always possible. But I think they'll go into the weekend looking to play three games of hardball, with no intention of initiating conflict

RICK HUMMEL:

Veteran John Hirschbeck will head an experienced crew here and I'm sure he's been apprised of the past shenanigans between the two teams. It wouldn't be surprising if Hirschbeck put both managers on notice, politely, before tonight's game. I predict little or nothing will happen this weekend but wouldn't rule against something happening later in the season.

JEFF GORDON:

High jinks are to be expected. All it will take is a brushback or two and the two sides will start chattering. I can't imagine and letting the weekend pass without some spirited exchanges. The baseball season is a 162-game grind, but players are energized by rivalries like this one. Everybody will be on their toes, which is a good thing.

TOM TIMMERMANN:

I've always found that when you're looking for extracurricular activities, they almost never show up. Somehow, the spontaneity is lost. Maybe there will be some yelling, but it's April. And it will be raining. I think everything will proceed without incident. KEVIN WHEELER (Host of "Sports Open Line" on KMOX):

No. You've got two teams who are tied for first place early in the season and winning games is going to be the primary focus. It has to be hard for the Cardinals players who were around last season to let go of the way things went during The Brawl last year, especially with Jason LaRue's career ending because of 's kick to the head, but winning games has to be the priority. Plus, will be watching. Two of these three games will be nationally televised and the last thing the league wants is ugliness breaking out in that kind of setting. On top of all that Cueto is on the disabled list and won't be out there anyway.

LARRY BOROWSKY (Founder of Viva El Birdos and editor of "Maple Street Press Cardinals Annual"):

If it happens this weekend, I don't think the Cards will start it. With 6 guys on the DL, they can't really afford to risk another injury. But at some point this year, at a carefully chosen time, they likely will send a clear message. One of their teammates had his career ended last year, and I don't think La Russa will let that go unanswered. They didn't retaliate immediately because they were focused on winning the division and didn't want the distraction, but I doubt they have just decided to let bygones be bygones.

There's a section in "3 Nights in August" that illustrates how thoroughly La Russa thinks these things through. He had decided to order an HBP of Arizona Luis Gonzalez in retaliation for some offense the DBacks committed months earlier, but the exact timing of this plunking depended on a whole universe of variables. With respect to the Reds, when Tony thinks the Cards can gain some competitive advantage by making a not-so-subtle statement, then we'll see the extracurriculars. It could happen this weekend, but I don't expect it.

Goold: "Vendetta" Series, Round 1

By

BALLWIN • Cincinnati Reds general would later say the word was "too harsh" and not reflective at all of his or manager Dusty Baker's feelings about the St. Louis Cardinals.

Still, maybe Jocketty knew something others didn't more than a year before it happened.

It wouldn't be the first time.

In the 2008 press conference announcing that Jocketty would move from his adviser role to replace as Reds' , the former architect of the Cardinals spoke about the division and the opportunity to compete against a team that had fired him less than seven months earlier.

He and Baker were "on a vendetta," Jocketty said. "We've sort of got chips on our shoulders. It gives you a little motivation when your last employers were in the same division."

The word hung there.

Vendetta.

There is a violent aspect to the word that Jocketty certainly didn't mean to imply, and there is a revenge aspect to the word that isn't often said so publicly. But as the years have unfolded and the Cincinnati Reds have arrived as a fierce and feisty rival to the Cardinals there are shades of the definition that apply. Google it. Right there: "A bitter, destructive feud." Or there: "Any prolonged feud, quarrel, etc." Maybe Jocketty saw it coming.

The Cardinals want to downplay the animosity they feel toward the Reds. This is just another series. Grudges are gone from last year's fracas. The stuff was silly and perhaps a misunderstanding. Let the fans boo Brandon Phillips . But it should be noted that the Cardinals have enlisted some familiar reinforcements for this weekend's series and the season-long feud.

After all, the enemy of their enemy is ... Well, you know, the phrase.

That's where the 10 starts.

1. The Cardinals three biggest acquisitions of the offseason all have history against the Reds. won division titles with Baker in Chicago and knows the Reds as a division rival. is another NL Central stalwart who watched routinely fillet the Reds. And even , an American Leaguer for so long, got to see the Reds regularly when interleague pitted the Ohio clubs against each other. Not only do they know the Reds well as opponents, they have done well against the Reds. Check out their career splits against Cincinnati, including their OPS+, where 100 is average.

Ryan Theriot ... 66 games, .310/.358/.408 .... 41 runs, 22 RBIs, 5 HR ...118+ Lance Berkman ... 152 games, .318/.438/.678 ... 121 runs, 137 RBIs, 49 HR ... 131+ Jake Westbrook ... 5 games, 4 starts, 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 18 Ks & 8 BB in 25 2/3 ... 114+

2. The Cardinals' recent visit to Arizona spurred conversation about the All-Star Game. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is an advocate of the being used in all All-Star Games, and for a first time this summer in a ballpark. He also likes the rule that forbids who start on the Sunday before the All-Star Game from pitching in the Tuesday classic. Asked if he would alter his rotation to make sure a deserving didn't throw on Sunday and got to appear in the All-Star Game, La Russa said he likely wouldn't. He did offer one exception: , who is off to a 3-1 start following Thursday's shutout . If Lohse had a chance to pitch in this summer's All-Star Game, La Russa might shift the rotation around to make that possible because Lohse lives in the Phoenix area. Lohse chuckled when told he'd get that treatment, if selected, this summer. And it's no wonder. He was 11-2 at the break in 2008. He wasn't picked for the All-Star Game.

3. Easy poll question today, prompted by the acrimony between the Cardinals and Reds, and the rivalry that has developed with so many NL Central teams. The poll is above this and below that. Click away.

4. From the ongoing discussions on What is Clutch? and Is There Such a Thing as Clutch? we bring you this stat: had two RBIs on Thursday to give him five two-out RBIs this season. Since the start of last season, Holliday leads the National League with 55 two- out RBIs. In two-out, RISP situations in 2010, Holliday hit .282 and slugging .459 on his way to 31 RBIs. He also had 15 walks in those spots to boost a .396 on-base percentage. Some other dot-dot-dots from the Cardinals: has at least a hit in every one of his starts this season. ... Holliday has a seven-game , and he's hit safely in 11 of his 12 games this season. ... The Cardinals lead the majors with 126 singles. ... Theriot may be hitless in his previous nine at-bats, but the Cardinals' has still put together a surge that coincides with the Cardinals' revived offense. In his previous 12 games, Theriot is 20-for-58 (.345) with a .367 on-base percentage. He has seven RBIs in that stretch.

5. Bossman Reid Laymance , the Post-Dispatch's executive sports editor, reports from New York and the annual confab between sports editors and commissioners that Bud Selig believes baseball is "better off" if re-signs with the Cardinals . Selig mentioned two small-market icons, Kansas City's George Brett and Milwaukee's Robin Yount , and said "they were such big parts of their communities. Their communities were better off that they stayed. And the players said they were better off, too. So, yes, baseball would be better with Albert in St. Louis."

There have been many indications over the past year or so that the gravitational pull between the Cardinals and Pujols is strong enough to keep them together, even if tested by free agency this coming winter. An official in the commissioner's office told me this past winter that Major League Baseball recognizes the importance of an iconic player and is willing "to work with" the team to make a long-term agreement possible, even if it requires creativity in the contract. (Examples: 's milestone homer bonus clauses or, as reported in the Post-Dispatch, the consideration to pay Pujols with a portion of the team.)

Selig's comment came on a day when his beloved Brewers locked in their best hitter for at least the next 10 seasons. signed a $105-million extension that includes a mutual option and could keep him in Milwaukee through at least 2020. According to multiple reports, Braun joins an exclusive but growing group: players signed through the age of 36 who have spent their career with a team. There are seven of them - , , Jorge Posada , Mariano Rivera , Chipper Jones , Todd Helton and now Braun. Cardinals hope Pujols is No. 8.

6. Veteran lefty says he enters every series "knowing that I'll be factor, at least in my mind." Good chance he will be this weekend. After warming up a few times but never appearing in the series vs. Washington and throwing only one pitch when he last appeared in a game (a week ago), Miller is expected to be the only lefty the Cardinals have in the for this series. The Reds have three lefthanded batters on their active rosters, but two will merit the kind of late- special attention that Miller provides - reigning MVP and outfielder . Here's how Miller has fared against the lefties the Reds carry: vs. Joey Votto ... 1-for-8, 0 BB, 1 K ... .125/.125/.125 vs. Jay Bruce ... 0-for-6, 0 BB, 3 K ... .000/.000/.000 vs. Jeremy Hermida ... 0-for-3, 0 BB, 1 K ... .000/.000/.000

Miller correctly points out that those numbers are often presented backward. Votto, for example, isn't 1-for-8 against him. Miller is 7-for-8 against Votto.

7. FARM REPORT: Class AA Springfield was thumped, 14-4, in Tulsa. SS Ryan Jackson kept his average at better than .400 with a single in three at-bats. ... RHP Deryk Hooker took the beating, allowing seven runs (all earned) on six hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings. ... LHP Ryan Kulik allowed four runs on four hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings of relief, and RHP Matthew Frevert allowed three runs on five hits and one walk in his 1 1/3 inning of work. ... The only scoreless work done was by RHP Richard Castillo , who is operating as a reliever this season. He struck out two and walked one in 1 2/3 innings. ... Memphis lost, 1-0, in Omaha to the Storm Chasers (fickle with their names, eh?). 1B had two hits and a walk. ... 3B Matt Carpenter had two singles in four at-bats. ... LF Daryl Jones walked twice and doubled. He's .261 in his first taste of -A baseball. ... The Redbirds were 1-for-14 with runners in , offering RHP no support after he allowed only a in the first inning. Lynn walked four and struck out five in 7 1/3 innings. ... Palm Beach, the High-A affiliate, lost 2-1. 3B had two hits in four at-bats. He's hitting .317 so far this season. ... 2B Luis Mateo drove in the PB-Cards lone run. ... RHP Maikel Cleto struck out nine in five innings. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk. So far the return on the has a 2.81 ERA in three starts. He has 21 and four walks in 16 .

8. HIT THE LINKS: Cincinnati Reds reliever reportedly hit 106 mph with a the other night, and Yahoo! Sports baseball writer Jeff Passan says there are serious questions about the reading on the scoreboard as team's play to a Fastball Culture . ... says that Chapman has averaged 99 mph on his fastball since coming to the majors last season. ... FanGraphs also takes a look at whether Braun's extension is better or worse than Howard's five-year, $125-million deal that starts in 2012 . ... Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel baseball writer Tom Haudricourt takes a look at what it means to have Braun become a "Brewer for life." ... A robot threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Phillies game, and you can see video of this tremendous, paradigm-shifting leap forward in technology here . ... Tom Groeschen writes at The Cincinnati Enquirer that Phillips digs being the Cardinals' "arch enemy." ... In his first start since an arrest for shoplifting, Reds righty ended the club's losing streak, but he didn't add any details to explain what happened at Macy's . ... 's streak of 26 1/3 scoreless innings ended for Cleveland on Thursday, writes Paul Hoynes in The Plain Dealer.

9. Congrats for making it this far. No there isn't a limerick about the Reds waiting for you. It's time for a contest. You can win a free book that should help keep a table level until the Collected Chats of JSL!!! is published. Seriously, we'll mail it to you and everything. Here's the challenge: Write a headline for tonight's Cardinals-Reds game, and the one with the best Earth Day-related pun wins. You can submit your entry (entries) below in the comments or at the Bird Land@Facebook page, where the contest is already under way. Have pun.

10. So baseball is likely going to expand its postseason under the guise of giving more priority to doing well in the regular season. Right, we've seen that work in other sports. I mean, the NBA and the NHL expanded their postseason and look how that has increased the importance of their regular season. As if diluting the importance of pro sports best-test regular season isn't enough, the other thought is to too tinker with the postseason and make the wild-card teams face each other in a play-in game. This would have that Game No. 163, winner-take-all feel, except for the fact that it could put one team with 94 wins against another team with, say, 83 wins and call ‘em square after 162 games.

Seems to me that tinkering with the game's fundamentals - series, playing every day, 162-game test - to artificially conjure drama is a mistake.

It's like instead of rewarding the team with the best record in baseball home-field advantage in the you let it hinge on an exhibition game.

Cards stay up late, beat Reds 4-2

By Tom Timmerman/Post-Dispatch

The Cardinals won the first game of their three-game series with the Reds, 4-2, in a game that extended past midnight on Friday after a two-hour, 10-minute rain delay.

Kyle McClellan, who had been the scheduled starter, got the win in relief after manager Tony La Russa instead used as his starter after it became apparent that the game would be interrupted by rain not long after it started.

It turned out that the teams played just two minutes, and Batista threw just six pitches, before a series of storms hit. When play finally resumed at 9:28 p.m., La Russa brought in McClellan (3-0) to pitch and he went six innings, allowing seven runs and two hits before giving way to Eduardo Sanchez, and , who pitched 1 1/3 innings to get his second . McClellan's six innings of relief is the longest stint out of the Cards bullpen since Manny Aybar threw six innings in 1999.

"That's very difficult to do," La Russa said of McClellan's performance after the rain delay. "To come in and be told you've got 40 minutes before the game start. Both clubs played nine with the focus like it was a beautiful day."

La Russa pointed to McClellan's experience as a as a key to his getting out of jams. The Reds stranded 11 runners on base.

Reds starter Edinson Volquez never even got to the mound. He warmed up in the bullpen before the game but after the delay, manager Dusty Baker brought in releiver Matt Maloney. Technically, both starters threw a combined 0.0 innings, the first time that had happened in a game since a Sept. 21, 1989 game between the Padres and Reds with Dennis Rasmussen and Jack Armstrong.

The Cardinals scored a run in each of the first three innings and wasted chances to blow the game open. Albert Pujols drove in Ryan Theriot in the first and second innings and Lance Berkman scored on a single and an in the third. The Cards got their fourth run on a single by in the fifth.

The Cardinals and Reds came into the game tied for first in the NL Central. They play again on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 p.m., another quick turnaround after a game that didn't end until 12:36 a.m. About 5,000 fans were still around at the end for the scheduled postgame fireworks show. xxxxx

Kyle McClellan came out of the game after allowing the first two batters in the seventh to reach base, which brought the tying run to the plate and the heart of the Reds lineup coming up. Eduardo Sanchez came in for the first time with runners on base and got Brandon Phillips to fly out, much to the delight of the fans. After a moved the runners up, Sanchez walked Joey Votto to load the bases. Jonny Gomes hit a to left that made it 4-2. After another wild pitch put runners on second and third, Sanchez got Jay Bruce to fly out to shallow center. xxxx

Kyle McClellan got out of a jam in the sixth that the Cards helped him get into and that the Reds got him out of. When he was done, the Cards still led 4-1.

With runners on first and third and no one out, Edgar Renteria hit a grounder to third. threw home and Jonny Gomes was caught in a , but he stayed alive long enough for the Reds to get runners on second and third with one out. followed with a grounder to short, but Jay Bruce, the runner at third, inexplicably decided to hold at third even though the Cards was back and conceding the run. McClellan then got Ramon Hernandez to fly out to end the inning.

Tonight's attendance: 40,327, though I'd guess there are about 12,000 in the house right now. xxxx

The Reds got on the board in the fifth, and it was Cardinals antagonizer Brandon Phillips who did it, homering into the stands in left field.

Phillips, who has not been shy in professing his disdain for the Cardinals, has been roundly booed every time he's come to the plate, and even during at-bats. He sprinted around the bases after hitting the homer, his second of the season, that made it 3-1.

The Cardinals got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a single by Lance Berkman, a wild pitch and a single by Yadier Molina. Matt Holliday had started the inning with a single, but he was thrown out trying to go to third on Berkman's single. xxxx

The Cards scored another run in the third, on a leadoff by Lance Berkman and a single by David Freese, with Berkman coming home to score after Jay Bruce didn't pick up the ball cleanly.

That drove Reds starter Matt Maloney from the game and brought in Jordan Smith, who hasn't gone more than an inning this season, which means the Reds bullpen is going to have to put someone else out there soon. xxxx

Albert Pujols drove in runs in the first and second innings as the Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Reds in Friday night's rain- delayed game.

Up 1-0 with two out in the second, the Cards got a double by Ryan Theroit, a walk by and a single by Pujols to right center to drive in the second run.

Reds emergency starter Matt Maloney did a tightrope walk in the first two innings, allowing six hits and stranding five Cardinals. He threw 65 pitches in the first two innings, and the Reds bullpen figures to get a workout tonight.

Cards "reliever" Kyle McClellan -- he came in after six pitches for Miguel Batista after the rain delay to make his scheduled start -- retired eight of the first nine batters he faced before Brandon Phillips, who got booed every time he did anything, singled in the third. Joey Votto grounded out to end the inning.

For the stat-minded among you, Maloney goes into the books as the for the Reds, even though the game began with Edinson Volquez in the pitchers spot for the Reds. Volquez gets credit for an appearance though he never got than pregame warmups. xxxx

Kyle McClellan belatedly came to the mound on Friday, 2 hours and 10 minutes after he was supposed to.

With a storm approaching, Cards manager Tony La Russa chose to start reliever Miguel Batista and save McClellan for after what was an inevitable rain delay. Batista walked leadoff hitter and had a 1-1 on Brandon Phillips before the rains came.

When play resumed at 9:28 p.m., McClellan went to the mound and retired Phillips, Joey Votto and Jonny Gomes to get out of the inning. The Reds scratched starter Edinson Volquez, who had gone through his pregame warmups, and replaced him with lefty Matt Maloney.

The Cardinals got to Maloney quickly, with three of the first four hitters hitting line drive singles, but got only one run. Ryan Theriot led off with a single to left and Colby Rasmus followed with a single to right that moved Theriot to third, where he scored on Albert Pujols' fly out to center. Matt Holliday singled to left, before Lance Berkman flew out. David Freese loaded the bases when he beat out a grounder to short but Yadier Molina struck out on a 3-2 pitch. Maloney got through the inning on 39 pitches. xxxx

The Cardinals and Reds got in six pitches and two minutes before rain came on Friday night, bringing out the tarp and causing a delay.

It was a bit surprising that the game even started, considering that the radar showed storms were bearing down on the ballpark. Miguel Batista, the Cards' last-second starter, walked Drew Stubbs on four pitches and had a 1-1 count on Brandon Phillips when a strong rain sent fans scrambling for cover and the players heading to the dugouts.

At about 8:05, during a lull between two storms, the grounds crew moved heavier equipment onto the field, apparently anticipating stronger winds. A tornado warning was in effect for downtown St. Louis at that point.

At 8:45 p.m. the rain had stopped and the grounds crew had taken to the field to begin getting the field ready for play.

With the possibility of a long delay, the Cards changed starting pitchers 15 minutes before the game was scheduled to begin. Miguel Batista started warming up in the bullpen at about 7:05, and he got the start instead of Kyle McClellan. With the possibility of the game starting and then being delayed by rain, the Cardinals didn't want to waste McClellan. McClellan could still get in the game, coming in after the inevitable rain delay ends.

It's Batista's first start since July 27 of last year for the Nationals.

Former Cards was not in the starting lineup for the Reds on Friday after he got two cortisone shots in his left shoulder on Thursday. (The left shoulder is the one he hurt while with the Cardinals.) Instead, another former Cardinal, Miguel Cairo, will start. Rolen didn't play Thursday and, though it's not official, it looks like he might miss the entire series.

Daniel Descalso gets the nod for the Cardinals at second base tonight in the ongoing rotation to fill in for the injured .

Manager Tony La Russa said Jake Westbrook would start Sunday's final game of the series, though that could change depending on what happens with Friday night's game. Storms are expected to hit St. Louis right around 7 p.m., though the hope is that they will move through the area quickly, rather than stay as they did on Tuesday.

Rolen sits after injections to shoulder

AP

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen had two cortisone injections to relieve pain and stiffness in his left shoulder and neck and was not in Friday night's starting lineup.

Rolen had the injections on Thursday before flying to St. Louis for the start of a three-game series against his old team, the Cardinals. Rolen said he had issues with the shoulder for a week to 10 days before consulting team medical personnel.

"I've been battling with it, trying to get over the hump a little bit, and it's going the wrong way," Rolen said. "I'm not worried about it, I'm not getting cut on. I'm concerned enough about it to get a couple injections and see where we are."

Miguel Cairo played third for the second straight game and batted seventh for the Reds. Manager Dusty Baker also gave Rolen a day off Thursday, noting that Rolen appeared slower the last few days.

The 35-year-old Rolen was 4-for-29 the previous eight games with two RBIs and was batting .217 overall with two homers and 12 RBIs.

Rolen injured his left shoulder twice when he was with St. Louis, the first time in the 2002 playoffs on defense in a collision with Arizona's Alex Cintron and again in May 2005 when he barreled into Hee-Seop Choi running out a grounder.

He had two surgeries in 2005, and missed time in 2007 and 2008 because of the shoulder.

"Same shoulder, same situation," Rolen said.

Rolen's not certain when he'll be back in the lineup and manager Dusty Baker's not counting on him the whole weekend, saying, "We'll see what treatment does for him."

Whether or not he plays, Rolen anticipated no lingering resentment between the teams from last year's brawl in early August in Cincinnati.

"I hope it's baseball on the field, I hope that's where the rivalry is," Rolen said. "I hope the rivalry is two teams that hopefully are going to be at the top of the division and fighting down the stretch for the .

"We have a good ballclub and I think they do over there."

Cardinals Colby Rasmus also expected the focus to be on the game.

"I see them as another team that I'm just trying to go out and beat," Rasmus said. "I don't see them as a bitter rival, I've got some friends on the team."

Cardinals go back to McClellan after delay

AP

The St. Louis Cardinals used a replacement starter before a rain delay of two hours and 10 minutes to give Kyle McClellan a chance to pitch.

The Cardinals switched starters due to a threat of a storm, announcing 40-year-old Miguel Batista as the pitcher about 15 minutes before game time Friday night. Batista threw only six pitches, opening with a four-pitch walk to Drew Stubbs with three of the deliveries way out of the , and Stubbs stole second before umpires called a halt with a 1-1 count on Brandon Phillips with the game only two minutes old.

Reds scheduled starter Edinson Volquez warmed up before the storm hit, and was replaced by Matt Maloney, who got his first start of the season. Maloney entered with a 7.45 ERA in four appearances covering 9 2-3 innings.

The majority of a crowd likely in the 30,000 range stuck around despite three tornado sirens sounding and heavy rain, with thousands waiting patiently under the decks.

Batista made his first start since July 27, 2010, when he was an emergency fill-in for with the . Batista made the Cardinals, his ninth team, as a long reliever.

Batista was 1-0 with 1.29 ERA in five appearances covering seven innings. McClellan is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA.

Schumaker sees bright side

By Joe Strauss

Described as suffering a triceps injury when placed on the disabled list Tuesday, second baseman Skip Schumaker also suffered a ligament strain in the area that doctors told him could sideline him for up to six weeks.

Schumaker voiced optimism Friday about a return in three to four weeks but admitted initial concern that he may have suffered a rupture to his ulnar collateral ligament last weekend.

"It's not the ligament, which I initially thought it was. I was worried. Luckily, the MRI showed it involved more of the triceps, which is encouraging," Schumaker said.

Schumaker admits his outlook is on the optimistic side of a projection that extends as far out as six weeks.

"I think it's more than two weeks but I'm hoping in between those two," he said. "Six weeks was the high end for the recovery but everybody heals differently."

Schumaker suffered the strain during Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played several innings after feeling what he initially considered a pull but became more concerned after returning to the team hotel. He referred to the elbow and triceps as becoming 'stuck" and said he was unable to fully extend while attempting batting practice Saturday. "When I woke up, I knew something was up," he said.

An MRI that team medical supervisor Dr. George Paletta ordered Monday revealed the ulnar collateral ligament remained intact. Though assigned to the disabled list for the first time in his career, Schumaker came away relieved.

"I only cared about it being the (ruptured) ligament. It wasn't primarily that. If it was, you're talking about turning a six-week thing into a 12- month thing," he said. "I was nervous going in and encouraged coming out."

Manager Tony La Russa will use , and Tyler Greene at second base in Schumaker's absence.

Phillips Tweets on

Considered the instigator behind last August's wave of ill feelings between the two teams, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips stepped up his game before Friday's series between the Cardinals and Reds.

"Ever since I've been here, I've just been tweeting the fans and trying to get on their nerves a little bit because I know they're going to boo me," Phillips said. "I'm going to send a nice little tweet before the game again. I can't wait to get booed, even though boos don't really do anything to me. It's just letting me know that they had nice dreams about me the night before."

With the Reds staying in Clayton, Phillips shopped at the Galleria on Friday afternoon and said he engaged some fans in good-natured ribbing.

"All you have to do is follow me on Twitter and you'll know what type of person I really am," said Phillips, who uses the handle DatDudeBP. "I say a lot of jokes. I like to get on people's nerves a little bit, especially the fans. I just love playing this game."

Phillips had some fun at the expense of the city's culinary reputation.

"My teammates asked me if I knew where some good places 2 eat in St. Louis! I said, "Yea, come with me 2 the store 2 get some Lunchables!" Phillips tweeted.

As expected, Phillips was booed heartily when he came to the plate Friday night. Umpires halted the game two pitches into his first-inning .

Tallet is mending

Lefthanded reliever says that he expects stitches to be removed next Friday from his surgically repaired right hand. A pin was inserted above the third metacarpal on the hand after Tallet snapped it while making a tumbling April 11 against the . Two screws were inserted into the hand.

"It's progressing good," he said. "But it's still sore. It feels kind of arthritic. Everything is still swollen."

Since his throwing hand is not affected, Tallen threw a side session Friday afternoon. He expects his glove to be fitted with additional padding when he returns, perhaps within two weeks. extra bases

Memphis outfielder Shane Robinson had surgery in Memphis on Friday to repair the fractured second metacarpal on his left hand, the least serious of two injuries he suffered in a collision with Andrew Brown last week in Iowa. Robinson will have additional surgery next Wednesday to repair a broken orbital bone in his face. A club official estimated Robinson would be sidelined for about six weeks, given successful surgery. ... Kyle Lohse's two-hitter Thursday made him the 21st pitcher in team history to build a streak of five games of at least seven innings while allowing six hits or less. He is the third Cardinals pitcher to start a season with such a streak of at least four games, the most recent being Jose DeLeon and Ken Hill in 1989. ... Outfielder , who landed on the disabled list with Schumaker, says he has experienced significant improvement in his strained left groin and hopes to be activated when eligible May 2.

Bernie Bits: Cards-Reds rivalry has a different feeling

By Bernie Miklasz

The Cardinals' No. 1 rival will always be the . The affair is rooted in history and has united several generations of fans who observe sacred baseball tradition by making annual summer pilgrimages to and .

And the Cubs-Cardinals bacchanal is also party time, with plenty of spirits flowing within the friendly confines of the Wrigley beer garden or in the St. Louis ballpark named in honor of a brewer.

In modern times, the actual baseball has been secondary in too many years. The Cubs haven't been able to keep pace in a way that gives a rivalry extra layers of significance, history and drama. Since Tony La Russa became the St. Louis manager, the Cardinals rank fourth in the majors in victories; the Cubs are 19th. At times it's almost as if the Cardinals and the Cubs are merely entertainers at a festival in the park.

But if we're talking pure, hardcore baseball the Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds are playing the game at a fever pitch. It's the best rivalry the Cardinals have going now, and the adrenaline will remain high as long as the Reds loom as a threat in a division the Cardinals expect to control. The Reds see no reason to defer. There's a bold attitude in each . And a taint of bad blood makes a rivalry perk.

Reds third baseman Scott Rolen, the former Cardinal, has participated in Cubs-Cardinals and Cardinals-Reds. And Rolen has a keen understanding of the differences.

"With all due respect the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry, when I was here, was forever old," Rolen said before Friday's 4-2 Cardinals win at storm- soaked Busch Stadium. "It was fan driven, and media driven. 'Here it is. It's the rivalry.' And we get on the field and play ball."

That's why Rolen was surprised when the Cubs and Cardinals threw down and engaged in some nastiness late in the 2003 season. It took him by surprise, because the rivalry had been so friendly.

"I thought, 'Why are we doing this? Because we're supposed to?' The Cubs had great guys. We had great guys. We just went out and played. We weren't trying to hurt each other," Rolen said. "These are good dudes that we enjoy playing against and competing against. It's a fantastic rivalry. But what was supposed to be occurring? We did have some heated games, but in the back of my mind, I always wondered, 'Does it have to be heated?' Kind of confusing."

With the Reds vs. Cardinals there is no ambiguity.

"This feels to me like two pretty good teams banging heads right now," Rolen said. "There's some animosity from some things that happened on the field last year. There's a real attitude of 'Let's go get these guys, let's go beat these guys.' And that's a feeling on both sides. There may be some hard feelings. I'm not trying to overstate it. I'm not saying we're ticked off. That's not it. But it's a great competition. It feels like we're getting after it. It feels like we both might have a little chip on our shoulder, and we may not like each other very much. That makes for a good rivalry."

Reds-Cardinals Feud Update and Scorecard:

• Brandon Phillips vs. Cardinals fans: BP is winning big, because he craves attention, and St. Louis fans are giving it to him. The fans don't seem to realize that they're making Phillips happy. He loves this.

• Phillips vs. Cardinals players: Since instigating the brawl early last August, the Reds' second baseman was four for 27 against St. Louis coming into Friday's game. Edge so far to the Cardinals. But Phillips is rallying. He had two hits and a homer Friday night. But he also had misses in the seventh and ninth inning with a chance to do some meaningful damage against the Cardinals bullpen.

• vs. Bill DeWitt Jr.: The Reds' owner is winning; Castellini's team won the division last year with a considerably smaller payroll than DeWitt's franchise. And Castellini still has the bragging rights in Cincinnati, where both men live. But how long will Castellini hold the crown? DeWitt's determined to make a comeback.

• Walt Jocketty vs. : Since Jocketty was fired as GM the Cardinals have been in the playoffs once in three seasons. Jocketty's Reds are the defending division champion. Edge to Jocko. But the rankings could change depending on what happens in 2011; Mozeliak's offseason moves are looking good so far.

• Jocketty vs. DeWitt: Jocketty is winning. To recap: DeWitt empowered "Moneyball" guy , which undermined Jocketty's authority and led to tension in the front office, resulting in Jocketty being fired. But the Cardinals are back to building a roster the Jocketty way, and Jocketty is building a potential power in Cincinnati.

• Tony La Russa vs. Dusty Baker: In head-to-head matchups before the weekend, La Russa's St. Louis teams were are 97-94 vs. Baker's teams in San Francisco, Chicago and Cincinnati. Too close to call. Baker clearly knows how to press La Russa's buttons and get TLR fuming. But Baker is the favorite to win the division this season; La Russa is in the underdog position, which he likes. TLR's brilliant move of holding Kyle McClellan back from the start of Friday's game -- and inserting him only one batter into the game after a long rain delay -- provided an early edge in the series. Baker burned his scheduled starter, Edinson Volquez, who warmed up before the storms came.

• La Russa vs. Rolen: Heck, Rolen just received two injections to ease the discomfort of a sore left shoulder and La Russa looks like he just went 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao. (Actually, TLR has conjunctivitis, or "pink eye.") At this point, their old hostilities are the least of their worries.

Reading Time, 3 Minutes

La Russa may be reluctant to put the title of "closer" on Mitchell Boggs, but TLR sure has given Boggs the full-closer handling this week. The proof came in the ninth inning of Friday's win, with the Cardinals holding a 4-2 lead with a runner on, one out, and the Reds' best hitter due up. That would be Joey Votto, last season's National League MVP. Votto, who bats left, would have been a natural assignment for lefty reliever Trever Miller. But La Russa stayed with Boggs, who got Votto to fly out on an up fastball that ran away from his fists. And then Boggs induced a pop up from Jonny Gomes to lock down the win.

Since May 11 of last season LH bats are hitting only .213 with a .322 onbase percentage against Boggs in 89 plate appearances. An improved has made a difference. "Mitchell gets the kind of movement that's tough to center, even for as good a hitter as Votto," La Russa said. And La Russa entrusted Boggs to notch a four-out save in only his second opportunity as the closer. That reveals something about La Russa's true opinion of Boggs.

The Cardinals' young relievers -- Eduardo Sanchez, Jason Motte and Boggs -- were money in this series-opening win, navigating through some potential trouble to get the final 12 outs. And what about McClellan? Six innings, two earned runs. He's 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his first month as the starter ... McClellan, , Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse have combined for a 2.39 ERA so far.

The Reds went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position Friday... manager Dusty Baker will need some innings from Saturday starter ; because of the rain delay and the no-go by Volquez, Baker had to tap into his bullpen for eight innings of hard work. Four Reds relievers threw 148 pitches.

A special welcome to NFL senior vice president of public relations Greg Aiello, who is in St. Louis to visit the in-laws for Easter with his wife Kirsten and their three children. Kirsten Krueger Aiello is a St. Louis native. ... Speaking of cheerleading, La Russa's oldest daughter, Bianca Tai, surprised her dad and the family by trying out for the Oakland Raiders cheerleaders. And she made the squad. No surprise, given her extensive training and background in dance.

Here are Lohse's numbers when he's been a healthy pitcher for Cardinals pitching : 22-10 and a 3.62 ERA in 46 starts. Here are Lohse's numbers (31 games) when he tried to pitch with a nerve problem in his right forearm: 6-15, 6.08 ERA. Given that Lohse is healthy, is it really surprising to see him thrive again?

The Reds' 3-7 record against Arizona and Pittsburgh early this season was notable for this reason: Last year the Reds beat up on mediocre (or worse) opponents, going 66-31 against NL teams that finished with a losing record. The Cardinals failed to take care of business against NL teams with a losing record, going 44-49. And that's why the Reds won the NL Central, five games ahead of the second-place Cardinals.

Fox Sports Houston reports that Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, wideout Donnie Avery, tight end Fendi Onubon and other receivers are working out together at the University of Houston. That's Avery's alma mater. Avery told FS Houston that he's still recovering — mentally — from the knee injury that ended his 2010 last summer. "I can't go as fast as those guys because it's still in my head," Avery said. "I'm trying to baby it a little bit because I'm five months out of surgery, so it's still kind of in my head. Still got a long way to go."

Missouri baseball alum Aaron Crow, a No. 1 draft choice in 2009, entered the weekend having pitched 11 1/3 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts as a rookie reliever for the . ... Through Thursday former Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan was batting .231 for Seattle. Defensively, Ryan's zone rating was down from a year ago. But it's early. ... Strange but true: Former Cardinals Felipe Lopez (Tampa Bay) and (Seattle) each batted cleanup for their teams in recent games.

It's a joy to listen to Reds radio broadcaster Marty Brennaman, the Baseball Hall of Famer who has been calling the Reds' games since 1974. His play-by-play is excellent. He knows the game. He offers keen insights. He has a sense of humor. He mixes in bits of history. And Marty is opinionated and never pulls a punch. It's an increasingly rare combination in MLB broadcast booths. If you have the MLB.com TV/Radio package, do yourself a favor and give Brennaman a listen.

Kris Milligan, a 1973 Parkway West grad, has written a new book, "The Family Guide to Tennis." ... Congrats to former Bud Sports director Steve Winkler, whose new Winkler Productions outfit will produce the first bowling event in Cowboys Stadium — the U.S. Women's Open, airing July 2 on ESPN2.

The Cardinals have done a reasonably effective job against Votto since the start of last season; over that time against St. Louis Votto is batting .273 with a .377 onbase percentage and a .424 . He has two homers in 77 plate appearances, and has struck out 17 times. Considering how Votto has wrecked so many pitchers over the last couple of seasons, the Cardinals have largely avoided serious injury when going against Votto.

The mock drafts are all over the map with St. Louisan Blaine Gabbert. I've seen projections that have the Mizzou quarterback going to Buffalo (No. 3 overall), Cincinnati (No. 4), Arizona (No. 5), San Francisco (No. 7) and Tennesse (No. 8). A few people think Gabbert could slip to Minnesota at No. 12.

Most of the mocks link Gabbert to Arizona. But Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt downplays his team's interest in Gabbert. That could be a smokescreen; who knows? But it would be entertaining to see Gabbert with the Cardinals because of the St. Louis connection. And he'd be playing for an NFC West team which means a yearly game in St. Louis.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke remains in the news in England after his takeover of the Arsenal soccer club in the EPL. The British press was hyperventilating after Arsenal midfielder and captain Cesc Fabregas challenged Kroenke and manager Arsene Wenger to purchase more elite talent in a concerted effort to win a championship. Speaking to a Spanish magazine, Don Balon, Fabregas was quoted as saying:

"If you went to Spain and said to (Barcelona manager) Pep Guardiola, (Real Madrid manager) Jose Mourinho or (Valencia boss) Unai Emery they would have three years without a trophy, it would be obvious they would not continue. Here, it is different. The manager is intelligent and the club value different things ... that the team is always in the Champions League; that we compete until the end; that we have young players, economic stability. But I imagine there will be a moment when you have to decide: do you win things or not?"

Bad shoulder is still plaguing Rolen

By

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen, attempting Friday afternoon to portray the severity of the shoulder and back ailments that have sidelined him the last couple of days, decided, with some jest to his tone, that they ranked somewhere between "the sky is falling" and the flu.

"I don't want to up-play or downplay," Rolen said.

But it is an old bugaboo that has beset Rolen. And we're talking old, like the 2002 playoffs against Arizona when pinch-runner Alex Cintron banged into Rolen's left shoulder while Cintron was running between second and third bases in Game 2 against the Cardinals.

Three years later, Rolen, still with the Cardinals, would be popped in the left shoulder again when he collided with Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Hee Seop Choi.

In subsequent years, Rolen has been bothered or just affected by the shoulder to the point where he had to take shots in it during the 2006 postseason and, pertaining to technique, he has had to lower his hands in his stance among other changes to keep stress off the shoulder.

Having tried to play through discomfort for much of the early part of this season, Rolen finally decided after Thursday's game at home to see Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds orthopedist who performed surgery on Rolen's shoulder six years ago. This time, Kremchek administered a shot to the shoulder and another to the upper back and neck area and Rolen, who was examined again Friday morning, isn't likely to play this weekend here.

Rolen knew something had to be done because, as he put it, "I don't know if you guys had noticed, but I wasn't excelling offensively. I'm not pointing fingers but I struggled a bit with my shoulder for seven or 10 years ... or days. I haven't had much fun in the last 10 days or so." Rolen is hitting .217 after a three-for-19 stretch.

After a brilliant first half of the 2010 season as he provided production and leadership in helping the Reds to their first division title in 15 years, Rolen began to feel shoulder pain late in the season, and his production dipped noticeably. Following a 17-homer first half, Rolen hit only three homers in the second half of the season.

Rolen said he and Kremchek decided to attack the problem now rather than "keep talking about this the whole season. So, that's where we are. I'm not in the lineup today. I'm not sure where we're going." But he said, "I'm much sorer today than I was yesterday."

For now, Rolen will not go on the disabled list, and he isn't even thinking of surgery. "I think everybody's tired of doing procedures on me," Rolen, 35, said.

Manager Dusty Baker said, "I was trying to get Scotty to the hot weather. Hot weather seems to help. I'm trying to get him and (Edgar) Renteria and (Miguel) Cairo to the hot weather. But it's been a very cold, damp spring that doesn't lend itself to lubricating their rusty joints."

Baker said he wouldn't make it a point of asking Rolen every day if he was feeling all right but would do so occasionally. "He's a pretty good poker player with his face," said Baker, "but you can tell by his personality and his actions when it's bothering him."

The Reds entered the three-game series tied with the Cardinals for first place at 10-9 but were fresh off losing off series at home to Pittsburgh and Arizona. They lost both series they played with Arizona.

"The last seven or 10 days, we've been playing 3 hour, 20 minute games," said Rolen, "and our time of possession wasn't very good.

"We just haven't been very crisp."

For one thing, Reds starting pitchers have allowed at least one run in the first inning in six straight games, a streak that continued Friday. Staff ace Edinson Volquez, who was slated to take the mound Friday before the game was delayed and he was replaced by lefthander Matt Maloney, has given up 13 runs in the first innings of his first four starts.

"I've talked to (Volquez) about it," said Baker. "I asked him what was his routine, his regimen. And the answers he gave me were like the perfect answers. He prepares during his bullpen sessions before he pitches. And he prepares the night before, in his mind.

"And he's been talking to a couple of pitcher friends of his who possibly might be in the Hall of Fame someday, on how to prepare.

"Sometimes, it's good to talk about it. Sometimes, you talk about it and you talk about it so much and everybody is talking about it. ... It gets into your mind ... and it's easy to say, 'Here we go again.'''

The Reds' staff, which entered the weekend with a 4.43 earned-run average, is without starter Johnny Cueto, not exactly the people's choice here, who is on the disabled list with soreness in his right biceps and triceps area.

Holliday on torrid pace since operation

By Tom Timmerman

Apparently you can take the appendix out of Matt Holliday, but you can't take the pop out of his bat.

A roll that began with a solid — he hit .345 with a .623 slugging percentage — and a torrid opening day — three for four with a homer — was not slowed at all by his appendectomy and the loss of about half a pound from his insides.

The Cardinals' left fielder went into Friday night's rain-delayed series-opening game with Cincinnati with a .455 batting average, which would lead the majors if he had the requisite number of plate appearances.

(As of Friday, he needed 59 plate appearances to be eligible and he had 54, so he'll need another week to get caught up.) His .705 slugging percentage would be second in the league.

And he continued his hot pace, singling in a run in the first inning. He now has hit in 11 of 12 games since the operation and heading into Friday was hitting .425 after surgery, which probably puts him among the league leaders in the non-appendix category.

Since returning to the lineup, he had a .590 on-base percentage and hasn't missed a game, and on Thursday hit his first homer since coming back.

"He picked up where he left off," manager Tony La Russa said.

Holliday said he had seen enough other players make quick and effective returns from appendectomies, so he was confident his return would go smoothly.

He looked at the cases of Giants first baseman Andres Torres, who missed 10 games last September after an appendectomy, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, who missed one game last season after an appendectomy.

"I wasn't concerned," Holliday said. "I'd seen some players come back quickly. I just wanted to get it taken care and get back as soon as possible. ... It feels pretty normal now."

Holliday thinks part of the credit for his seamless return was a change to his offseason conditioning.

Holliday always has taken good care of himself and, working with the Central Institute for Human Performance, in Kirkwood, he made a few tweaks. There was less work on a bike, more work with a sled, for instance, and he revised his diet.

"The factor that I was in good shape may have helped," he said. "I take pretty good care of myself, try to watch what I eat and I definitely think that helps recovery. ... I really watched what I ate closely. I tried to stay away from sugars and bad carbs and tried to balance out my body."

Holliday had a slight blip when he came back, going two for 12 in a three-game series with the Diamondbacks .

"I had some timing issues in Arizona that I wasn't too happy about," he said. "But I seemed to be able to find it."

By the time he hit , the next stop on the Cardinals' western trip, he was in full form. He went nine for 16 with three walks in four games against the Dodgers.

Timing has been the key to his success so far.

"When I'm doing well, usually with me, it's because my timing feels good, which allows me to slow down a little bit," he said. "Not chasing bad pitches, which gets you better counts, gets you walks. Then, when you do get a pitch to hit, hitting it hard. Ultimately, it has to find a hole, but just consistently trying to have good at-bats, where your timing is good and you're seeing the ball. If you're swinging at good pitches, your chances go way up."

Holliday is on track to have the best April of his career and in the past, that has translated into good seasons.

In his banner 2007 season, in which he led the league in batting (.340), hits (216), doubles (50) and runs batted in (137) and was second in the MVP voting, he hit .385 in April with 10 doubles and 19 RBIs. He hit .375 in April of his rookie season in 2004.

"I would hope (it's a good sign)," he said. "Every day is independent of itself, especially in this game. You can feel great one day and feel terrible the next, based on who's pitching and how well they execute, how many pitches you don't capitalize on."

Right now, he's capitalizing on everything he sees.

La Russa’s move pays off for Cards

By Joe Strauss

At 6:47 p.m. Friday, Tony La Russa and Dusty Baker likely decided the outcome of what followed.

A weather-delayed game the Cardinals ultimately won 4-2 at Busch Stadium negotiated its first turn almost 30 minutes before first pitch when the Cardinals notified the Cincinnati Reds that the game would start as scheduled despite an ominous weather forecast. In a piece of managerial legerdemain, La Russa held back his scheduled starting pitcher Kyle McClellan; Baker allowed Edinson Volquez to warm as originally planned.

From there, the event evolved into a mix of meteorological intrigue, missed opportunities and a final four-out stand that left McClellan the winning pitcher, Mitch Boggs a successful closer and the Cardinals alone in first place for the first time since last Aug. 13.

La Russa told Miguel Batista that he would be making an unscheduled start shortly before the Cardinals notified Baker of their decision to start the game on time. Baker said afterward he was informed by the Cardinals that a window of 45-60 minutes remained after first pitch, a version also supported by the umpiring crew.

"They told us we had a window of an hour. That window turned into two minutes," said crew chief John Hirschbeck.

In this case, the window slammed on Baker's hands.

Because the home team, not the umpiring crew, controls a game's first pitch, McClellan replacement Miguel Batista served his first offering at 7:16 p.m., barely two minutes before a squall shut down proceedings after only six pitches.

Downpours, high wind and a tornado warning for downtown St. Louis froze the game for 2 hours, 10 minutes. Less than two years removed from elbow ligament replacement, Volquez never took the mound. Baker instead summoned lefthander Matt Maloney (0-1) to make his 10th major-league start in less than ideal circumstances.

"We had a few minutes [notice]," Baker said. "But that wasn't an issue. It didn't matter what Tony did. I wasn't going to have to follow what he did."

Asked whether the club contemplated delaying first pitch until dangerous weather passed, La Russa said, "The forecasts were flying fast and furious. They're just guessing. You don't know what's going to happen. But right after we announced it was starting on time -- around 7:05 -- somebody said it was raining at [Interstate] 270 and they thought it'd be here in 15 minutes. By then, it's pretty tough to back off.

"Sure enough, five minutes into the game it's raining."

When the game resumed McClellan was ready to take his turn, albeit in what surely will hold up as the season's longest relief appearance.

Asked after the game whether he believed the Cardinals operated under a different weather advisory than what he received, Baker said, "I'd say there's a pretty good chance. But, hey, it almost worked out for us."

Baker wasn't the only one sounding indignant.

"How do you take me out? I still had a no-no," Batista remarked, tongue firmly in cheek.

McClellan (3-0) worked six-plus innings, allowing only two runs on seven hits and three walks. Maloney failed to record an out in the third inning and needed 73 pitches to somehow escape with only three runs of damage despite nine of 15 hitters reaching against him.

The Cardinals had chances aplenty to detonate the game early. The Reds, who lost their seventh in the last nine games, had enough opportunities to go 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

"All you can do is crank out the at-bats and we kept doing it," La Russa said. "But they had some chances, too, to score more than two."

Both teams were guilty of baserunning hijinks. The Cardinals bounced into two double plays before they lost two outs on the bases in the fifth inning. The Reds failed to score in the sixth inning despite taking four at-bats with a runner in scoring position, partly because right fielder Jay Bruce failed to break for home on a one-out grounder when the Cardinals infield plainly conceded the run.

"It was definitely a turning point," McClellan said of the sixth inning, adding, "If you put a zero up there it's big momentum for us and it kind of shuts the door on them."

Eduardo Sanchez and Jason Motte brought the game to Boggs for a four-out save. However, Boggs got his first out when Yadier Molina and first baseman Albert Pujols successfully picked off at first base to end the eighth inning.

"Yadi knew he had a chance to make a play," Boggs said. "That was huge. It couldn't have been an easier out for me."

La Russa remained with Boggs after center fielder Drew Stubbs singled to lead off the ninth inning. With lefthander Trever Miller warm, Boggs got two fly balls and an infield pop up. He retired reigning NL MVP and Reds first baseman Joey Votto on a one-out fly ball after trailing in the count, 3-1. "Once Tony let me face Votto, I know I can get this thing done," said Boggs, who earned his second save in the last three games.

The Cardinals (11-9) assumed sole ownership of the National League Central lead 10 days after finding themselves in fifth place, four games behind the pace-setting Reds. They have revived by winning nine of their last 12 games.

Said La Russa: "We're not even out of April. I don't care what club you are. You try to put your game together. You try to accumulate wins. Sometimes things click. Sometimes you struggle.... We're trying to take care of our business, whoever we play against. We like our club; we'll see what happens."

However, several Cardinals players acknowledged that they will have to go through Cincinnati to reach the postseason. They also believe they will have that opportunity. "I think people knew that. I think people knew we got off to a slow start," McClellan said. "I think it's making a statement early on."

The Cardinals immediately squeezed Maloney for a 3-0 lead. Eighyt of nine spots in the hit safely before the sixth inning. Shortstop Ryan Theriot managed three hits as the Cardinals produced 11 baserunners in four innings yet failed to blow apart a disordered Reds staff.

First baseman Albert Pujols' sacrifice line drive scored Theriot with the Cardinals' first run. Maloney wriggled from the inning on his 39th pitch by striking out catcher Yadier Molina with the bases loaded.

The Cardinals manufactured a two-out run in the second when Theriot doubled, Colby Rasmus walked and Pujols lined an opposite-field single for his second RBI.

Facing reliever Jordan Smith, right fielder Lance Berkman doubled to begin the third inning, resulting in a quick score for the Cardinals when third baseman David Freese dropped a single that Reds right fielder Jay Bruce bobbled. Berkman already had stopped at third but restarted to score for a 3-0 lead.

Maloney needed 73 pitches to get six outs. Smith averted a complete wipeout by holding the Reds bullpen together for three more innings.

A bungled fifth inning led to only one run when left fielder Matt Holliday was thrown out attempting to move from first to third on Berkman's single with none out. A wild pitch and Molina's two-out single gave the Cardinals their second three-run lead. The inning ended with Molina's failed steal attempt.

McClellan, meanwhile, pushed into the seventh inning with a 4-1 lead before handing two runners to rookie sensation Eduardo Sanchez, who hit his first turbulence in four major-league appearances.

Sanchez, who struck out eight of his first 17 major-league hitters he faced, allowed one inherited runner to score before his second wild pitch allowed the tying run to reach scoring position. A fly ball ended the threat with the Cardinals still up, 4-2.

An announced crowd of 40,327 reveled in booing Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, the reviled instigator of last August's throw- down between the clubs in Cincinnati.

Phillips, who claims to feed off fan antipathy, singled in the third inning before breaking McClellan's shutout with a one-out, solo in the fifth inning.

"That's probably the hardest loss we had all year," Phillips said afterward. "We just beat ourselves."

First place in Cards with win over Reds

By Matthew Leach

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals made the rain, and the rules, work for them on Friday night in another strange chapter of a consistently compelling rivalry.

In the opener of a three-game series, Cards manager Tony La Russa took a gamble on an early rainstorm and it paid off. Kyle McClellan, originally scheduled as the St. Louis starter, pitched six innings of relief after a two-hour delay, leading St. Louis to a hard-fought 4-2 win over Cincinnati at Busch Stadium. McClellan had been scratched shortly before the game in favor of Miguel Batista, on the very assumption that a lengthy and early delay was in the offing. That's exactly what happened, as exactly six pitches were thrown before the skies opened up.

Major League rules put rain-delay decisions in the hands of the home team until the first pitch is thrown, at which time it becomes the province of the umpires. The Cardinals were thus within their rights to begin the game, even with the awareness of impending heavy weather.

"As soon as we got here this afternoon, we had the forecast," La Russa said. "Mother Nature's going to take care of a lot of it, but you have to start the game and you don't know how long you're going to play. Especially if they think it's imminent. Now, if you think you're going to play for an hour or two, then you want to start Kyle. But if you think it's going to come ... Miguel was rested. He was the perfect guy to put in there."

Reds manager Dusty Baker stayed with his scheduled starter, Edinson Volquez, who went through his normal warmup routine before the game. By the time the delay was done, more than two hours had passed and Volquez had been wasted. Baker was forced to turn to his bullpen from the first Cardinals batter of the game, and it didn't work out for him.

St. Louis jumped on lefty Matt Maloney for single runs in each of the first three innings, and never looked back. Jordan Smith and Nick Masset turned in solid work behind Maloney, and in fact the Cardinals could have scored quite a bit more against Maloney and Smith, but they did enough damage to bring home the win. The sequence of events didn't sit well with Baker.

"It's really a tough start," Baker said. "The information that we received was probably not the same information they received, or else we wouldn't have started [Volquez] in the first place. We were told there was going to be a window of opportunity there. That window lasted about three minutes."

Albert Pujols drove in the first two runs, with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. Lance Berkman scored the third when Jay Bruce bobbled a David Freese single, and Yadier Molina's RBI single made it 4-0. Yet, in the first five innings, the Cardinals hit into two double plays and ran into two outs on the bases, short-circuiting what could have been much bigger rallies.

McClellan made the runs stand up, pitching six effective if not overwhelming innings.

He performed a couple of impressive escapes, but none more difficult or important than in the sixth. A walk, a and an gave the Reds runners on the corners with none out. McClellan induced a grounder to the right side by Edgar Renteria, and rather than take the and concede the run, the Cardinals went for the lead runner. They got Jonny Gomes in a rundown for the first out, but left McClellan with men on second and third and only one out.

He still dodged it, getting Miguel Cairo to ground out to shortstop, followed by a Ramon Hernandez fly out to left field.

"It was definitely a turning point," McClellan said. "There's two runners on. You come out of the game with a no-decision, that gives them the momentum. There's definitely points [in a game]. ... That right there, I knew if you can put a zero up right there it's big momentum for us and it kind of shuts the door on them."

Rookie Eduardo Sanchez just about matched the feat an inning later. Making the fourth Major League appearance of his career, Sanchez entered the game with two on and none out in the seventh. He got Brandon Phillips to fly out on his first pitch, then walked Joey Votto. A wild pitch put runners on second and third, and scored on Gomes' sacrifice fly, but Sanchez got the dangerous Jay Bruce to fly out to end the inning with minimal damage.

The Cardinals improved to 11-9 on the season, the first time this year they've been two games over .500. They are alone in first place in the division, also for the first time in 2011, one-half game ahead of Milwaukee. The Reds are in third, one game back.

Carpenter, Wood trying to nail down victories

By John Schlegel/MLB.com

Having played nice with each other on Friday night, the battle for the National League Central's early bragging rights continues Saturday in St. Louis.

The Cardinals took the rain-delayed opener of the first 2011 series against the Reds, marking the first meeting since a 2010 season series marred by some extracurricular activities on the field.

With Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter making his fifth start of the young season against Reds left-hander Travis Wood in the second game of the series, both teams made it clear Friday they've long since turned the page after the previous year's pushing and shoving. "It's not part of 2011 and how the teams are competing," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said on Friday. "What I've said is what I really believe is the truth. In the division this year, every time you play a Central opponent, whoever's playing in whatever city, you're going to see a real good competition."

Indeed, the early results show some parity in the six-team NL Central, but the defending champion Reds and the Cardinals are the twosome expected to vie for the top spot. St. Louis (11-9) has sole possession of first place, with the Reds (10-10) falling out of the top spot for the first time this season, slipping to third, a half-game behind the Brewers (10-9).

But, then, it is early -- something Carpenter and Wood both have in their favor after some rough numbers through their first few outings of 2011.

Carpenter got back on track with seven shutout innings against the Dodgers in a no-decision that left him at 0-2 with a 4.13 ERA owed mostly to an eight-run outburst against him by the D-backs his previous start. Wood, meanwhile, is coming off the shortest outing of his young career, allowing six earned runs in 3 1/3 innings to the Pirates but has two quality starts among his first four.

Reds: Rolen's status uncertain Veteran third baseman Scott Rolen received a cortisone injection in his left shoulder, hoping to alleviate pain he'd been feeling in his neck and back recently. That likely puts him on the shelf for a couple of days; whether he goes on the 15-day disabled list is to be determined.

"There's thought but it's too early to think that," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of the possibility of Rolen going on the DL. "It's only been two days. Last time we waited as long as we could wait and it worked out. If we can get him for four days instead of losing him for two weeks, it's a delicate balance. We're not there yet. We'll see what treatment does first for a couple of days."

With backup Juan Francisco already on the DL, Miguel Cairo started Friday and went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Cardinals: Westbrook on for Sunday Jake Westbrook is scheduled to start on three days' rest for the third time in his career, and the first time since 2001, in the Sunday night finale against the Reds.

The short rest stems back to his Tuesday start being bumped by rain to a Wednesday . In 2001, Westbrook picked up a win while pitching six sharp innings after a relief outing four days earlier. His start on three days' rest in 2000 also was following a relief outing, so this marks his first time starting four days after his previous start.

Worth noting The Sunday Night Baseball appearance in the series finale will be the first for the Reds since they faced the Dodgers on May 8, 2005. ... The Reds haven't won a series in St. Louis since June 2006 and are 2-18-2 in series at St. Louis since 2003.

Reds can't shuffle Cards in battle for first

By Mark Sheldon/MLB.com

ST. LOUIS -- Wacky events and some interesting gamesmanship at the start of Friday's game seemed headed to having the Reds pitching staff in dire straits.

It proved quite the contrary as the bullpen rose to the challenge and came up big. But by the end of a long, wet night at the yard and a 4-2 Reds loss to the Cardinals, there was only regret about how a game slipped away.

The Reds were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners. They had big chances to tie the game in the seventh and eighth innings before mistakes cost them.

"I think that was probably the worst loss we had all year right there," said Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, who hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. "We just beat ourselves. The Cardinals are a great team and did their job. On our end, we just didn't come through. We have to get key hits in situations and be smarter. Today was another learning experience."

For the first time this season, and the only time since Aug. 14 of last season, the 10-10 Reds no longer occupy first place. The 11-9 Cardinals sit a top of the National League Central.

The Reds-Cardinals rivalry created its latest chapter with more bizarre intrigue. The game was started on time despite knowledge some severe weather was approaching. Not long before first pitch, the Cardinals switched starters and had reliever Miguel Batista start in place of Kyle McClellan. The Reds stayed with Edinson Volquez, who was already all warmed up in the bullpen. Six pitches into the game, showers brought a two-hour, 10-minute rain delay. When play resumed, St. Louis went back to McClellan. Meanwhile, the Reds could not go with Volquez and summoned Matt Maloney.

"[Volquez] was down there underneath warming up every 15 minutes but the delay was too long," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Baker was clearly not pleased with the turn of events that left him without his starting pitcher.

"It's really a tough start," Baker said. "The information that we received was probably not the same information they received, or else we wouldn't have started [Volquez] in the first place. We were told there was going to be a window of opportunity there. That window lasted about three minutes.

"Our understanding -- we were going to have -- sometimes the weather man is wrong -- we were going to have 45 minutes to an hour before the rains came. The umpire said 'Dusty the rain is going to come eventually,' which we all knew. He said we would play through it the best we can. It just didn't last too long. If the umpires knew it was going to rain like that ... they wouldn't have started the game either. What information did they get?"

McClellan told reporters he was advised of the switch about an hour before the game.

"The forecasts were flying fast and furious," Cardinals skipper Tony LaRussa said. "They were, 'here's where it's going to be the worst, here's where it might hit.' They're just guessing. You don't know what's going to happen. But right after we announced that we were starting on time, maybe at 7:05, somebody said it was raining at [interstate] 270 and they thought it would be here in 15 minutes. By then, it's pretty tough to back off. And sure enough, five minutes into the game it was raining."

Maloney needed 39 pitches to get through the first inning and started the game with back-to-back singles, which led to Albert Pujols' sacrifice fly. But he also escaped with the bases loaded. A two-out rally led to a Pujols RBI single in the second inning. In the third after Lance Berkman led off with a double, David Freese hit a single to right field. Jay Bruce bobbled the ball, an error that allowed Berkman to score.

Jordan Smith took over and did a nice job in giving the Reds three strong innings, allowing only Yadier Molina's RBI single with two out in the fifth. Nick Masset followed with two perfect innings in the sixth and seventh. was flawless in the eighth.

After Phillips' homer in the fifth put the Reds on the scoreboard against McClellan, they had ample chances to come back all the way. In the sixth with two runners in scoring position and one out, Bruce stayed at third base instead of scoring on Miguel Cairo's grounder deep to shortstop Ryan Theriot. The bases were loaded with one out in the seventh inning and only one run scored on Jonny Gomes' sacrifice fly.

In the eighth with runners at first and second and one out, Chris Heisey was picked off first base by Mitchell Boggs. With Heisey headed safely to second base, Cairo had no choice but to run and got thrown out.

"We made a couple of mistakes," Baker said. "A couple of big mistakes. A couple of young mistakes. I'm sure we'll never make those same mistakes again."

Now with their bullpen upside down, the Reds might have to call up a reliever to bolster the staff. As for their unused starting pitcher, Volquez, there's a chance he could resurface in this series. Baker was asked if Volquez might start Sunday night instead of Sam LeCure.

"Maybe. It's a very good question," Baker said.

And the intrigue continues.

Cards' move gets McClellan back on mound

By Matthew Leach

ST. LOUIS -- With rain threatening imminently, the Cardinals made a last-minute change in their starting lineup on Friday night, and it ended up paying off.

Approximately 15 minutes before the first pitch of their game against the Reds, the Cardinals announced that Miguel Batista would start in place of Kyle McClellan. It's not an entirely uncommon tactic for a team facing a rain delay. The idea was that if a lengthy rain delay strikes early in the game, the starter might be limited to only one or two innings, essentially wasting his start. That's exactly what happened, as the skies opened up and the game was delayed after a mere six pitches. When play resumed more than two hours later at 9:30 p.m. CT, the Cardinals had McClellan ready to go, and he came in to face Brandon Phillips with a runner on second base. Reds starter Edinson Volquez, meanwhile, was removed from the game after the delay in favor of Matt Maloney.

Batista last started a game on July 27, 2010, also as a spot starter -- in that case, standing in for Stephen Strasburg with the Nationals.

Westbrook to start on short rest against Reds

ST. LOUIS -- Barring a rainout before then, Jake Westbrook will start the Cardinals' Sunday night game against the Reds.

Westbrook will be pitching as a starter on three days' rest for the third time in his Major League career, and the first time since 2001. The situation is a result of the Cardinals' Tuesday rainout against the Nationals. That forced a doubleheader on Wednesday, pushing Westbrook back a day from his originally scheduled start.

However, if more rain forces a postponement of either Friday or Saturday's game, Westbrook would likely be pushed back to Tuesday, after the Cardinals' off day.

In Westbrook's first short-rest start, in 2000, he allowed four runs in 2 2/3 innings and took the loss. However, the following year, he pitched a fine game, allowing one run in six innings and collecting a win. However, both of those starts were after extended relief outings, not after starts. Westbrook has never started four days after a previous start.

Schumaker takes step with field work

ST. LOUIS -- Skip Schumaker fielded groundballs on Friday, the first time he has done so since suffering a triceps injury in Los Angeles last weekend.

The Cardinals' second baseman is likely still looking at another two weeks or so, if not more, before he is able to return to active duty. But Friday marked a small step in his progress. He fielded balls hit off a fungo bat, then made light underhand tosses upon receiving the ball.

"Right now it's just [a matter of] keeping in shape, baseball shape," Schumaker said. "I don't feel anything just walking around. Certain movements you feel it more, trying to extend it and that type of thing. That's going to have to go away before I start hitting and throwing."

Club officials said from the start that Schumaker would likely miss more than the minimum 15 days required by his placement on the disabled list. Schumaker acknowledged the same on Friday.

"They told me 2-6 weeks," he said. "I'm hoping for two. I know it's not going to be two [weeks], because I've got another few days before I'm throwing," he said. "So it can't be two. I'm hoping it's right in the middle of that, three or four."

Baby birds

• Lance Lynn was the hard-luck loser for Triple-A Memphis on Thursday. Lynn allowed one run over seven innings in a 1-0 loss to Omaha. Matt Carpenter had two more hits as he continues to emerge from an early-season .

• Alex Castellanos homered in Double-A Springfield's 14-4 loss to Tulsa.

• Maikel Cleto fanned nine, but like Lynn was a hard-luck loser for Palm Beach. Cleto allowed a run on four hits over five innings, walking one, in a 2-1 loss to Jupiter.

• Frederick Parejo homered, but Class A Quad Cities lost to Cedar Rapids, 4-3.

Lynn is the player of the day. He permitted four hits with four walks and five strikeouts as he dropped his ERA to 2.66. Lynn has struck out 14 against five walks on the year. The right-hander was a supplemental first-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2008 Draft.

Tidbits

• Manager Tony La Russa is improving in his recovery from conjunctivitis, or "pinkeye." La Russa can open his right eye partially, more than he was able to do earlier in the week.

• Daniel Descalso started at second base on Friday, the third different starter at that position in four games since Skip Schumaker was placed on the disabled list. It appears likely that mix-and-match will continue to be the Cardinals' course of action for the time being.

• Two days after pitching three innings, reliever Fernando Salas was still considered off-limits by the Cardinals on Friday night.

La Russa's gamble pays off

By BJ Rains

ST. LOUIS -- With a radar full of green, yellow and even purple spots barreling right down on the city of St. Louis, the Cardinals decided to start reliever Miguel Batista instead of Kyle McClellan. Two minutes and six pitches later, the move turned out to be the perfect one.

McClellan followed a 2 hour, 10 minute rain delay with a strong six inning relief appearance to lead the Cardinals to a 4-2 win over the rival Cincinnati Reds. The win moved the Cardianls into sole possession of first place for the first time since August 13 of last year.

"I think they did a good job figuring out the weather conditions and starting Batista I think was by far the right thing to do," McClellan said. "I'm not a very patient person so it was a little difficult but not too much different from what I've done in the past.

"It's getting outs. You come in and there's a guy on second and you just pitch out of a jam. I've done it for a long time. Just like what I'm used to doing, coming in and starting out of the stretch and making pitches right away. First pitch was a . You come in and have all your stuff. It's all about getting outs."

Taking a chance that the impending rain would indeed come and delay the game, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan decided about an hour before first pitch that they were going to have Batista start so McClellan wouldn't be wasted if he started the game and a lengthy rain delay occurred.

That's exactly what would have happened when the rain began to fall and the game was delayed after Batista threw just six pitches in the top of the first inning.

The Reds gambled that the rain would hold off and had starter Edinson Volquez warm up. But he had to be scratched following the delay and the already beat up Reds bullpen had to cover the entire game.

"The forecasts were flying fast and furious," La Russa said. "'Here's where it's going to be the worst, here's where it might hit.' They are just guessing. You don't know what's going to happen when this stuff all interacts with themselves.

"But right after we announced we were starting on time, maybe 7:05, somebody said it was raining at 270 and it would be here in 15 minutes. But by then, it was pretty tough to back off and sure enough five minutes into the game it was raining. But that was the only heads up we got and boom there it was."

Reds manager Dusty Baker told reporters that they were told a 45-minute to an hour window existed at the start of the game. The umpires were under the same impression.

But with the Cardinals decision to start Batista, they obviously looked at the radar a little bit closer. Tornado sirens went off at Busch Stadium during the two-hour delay but nothing more than heavy rains and lightning hit the area.

A confirmed tornado caused severe damage at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport during the storm.

But when the storm passed and the game eventually resumed at 9:30 p.m. central time, McClellan took the mound for what officially went down as a relief appearance, just as he had done for each of the past three seasons before moving into the rotation this year.

The right-hander allowed seven hits and three walks but kept the damage to just two earned runs in six-plus innings. He improved to 3-0 on the year. His ERA is 2.16.

"One of those things where I just waited until they said the game starts in 20 minutes and then I went down and did my stuff and got ready to go," McClellan said. "It doesn't take me long to get ready so it wasn't a concern.

"I felt good. I felt like I definitely could have done better. Six innings, I have to go deeper than that. I felt like I have the stuff to be able to do it but it just didn't go that way."

The spot start for Batista was his first since making an emergency start in place of Stephen Strasburg on July 27, 2010, while with the Nationals.

The loss dropped the Reds out of first place for the first time this season.

SCHUMAKER BACK ON FIELD

Skip Schumaker was back on the field Friday, taking ground balls at second base before the rest of his teammates took the field for batting practice.

It was the first time Schumaker did any baseball-related activities since suffering a right triceps strain seven days ago while taking a swing in Los Angeles.

"Right now it's just keeping in baseball shape, that's the main thing," Schumaker said. "I don't feel anything just walking around. The certain movements you feel from trying to extend it and that type of thing that's going to have to go away before I start hitting and throwing."

Schumaker tossed the balls back underhand and estimated that he likely won't attempt to throw for another week. He plans to continue taking ground balls daily.

"They told me 2-6 weeks and I know it's not going to be 2 because I have another few days before throwing," Schumaker said. "I'm hoping its right in the middle of that three, four (weeks)."

The left-handed hitting Schumaker is hitting .241 in 14 games this season.

TALLET THROWS IN BULLPEN

Injured hurler Brian Tallet threw about 25 pitches in the Cardinals bullpen before Friday's game.

Tallet is out with a broken bone in his right, non-throwing hand. Still sporting a bulky cast/brace on his right hand and wrist, Tallet had someone catch the balls and hand them to him after he threw each pitch.

"It is different," Tallet said of throwing without a glove. "Its something you're not used to doing. It's something that can be a blessing in disguise because you take away the counter weight of the glove and you have to be able to throw the ball properly to be able to throw strikes."

The left-hander said he could return in two weeks, "But that's one of the good things about this injury, I will be able to stay sharp and continue to throw and do the necessary things.

"We'll devise a way to get the glove protected and all that. I think the main thing is as soon as I can feel comfortable enough to be able to defend myself on a mound. There can't be any doubt if a ball is hit, line drive, whether or not I'm going to put my hand out. As long as there's no doubt, there's no problem."

The Cardinals could have used the extra left-handed arm in the bullpen this weekend. The Reds feature left-handed sluggers Joey Votto and Jay Bruce.

AUGENSTEIN NOT READY TO BEGIN THROWING

Rookie pitcher Bryan Augenstein has yet to begin throwing following a strained right groin that he suffered on the recent road trip in Arizona.

Augenstein, who fell to the ground following a of Stephen Drew and was helped off the field, said he likely won't be returning for a couple of weeks.

"I've been biking the past couple days, just continuing my rehab," Augenstein said. "I'm progressing and feeling better but they've limited me to throwing until the pain is gone completely. I've been pushing it a little bit so hopefully it gets to where it needs to be.

"I haven't done any throwing. I've been doing some stuff in the training room as far as a trampoline and stuff like that to simulate it without my leg, but there's only so much you can do I guess. I should be pretty close to start throwing here soon."

Augenstein said he hurt his groin in college but it was a different area and not as severe as the current injury.

Cards beat Reds after 2-hour delay

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Tony La Russa guessed right, saving his starting pitcher for after a lengthy rain delay. Then it was up to Kyle McClellan.

McClellan worked six-plus innings after substitute starter Miguel Batista had time to throw only six pitches in a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

"That was the risk," La Russa said. "There was a strong chance there was going to be rain and I didn't want to blow Kyle out. The forecasts were flying fast and furious."

Albert Pujols had two RBIs and Ryan Theriot had three hits and scored twice for the Cardinals against a collection of relievers for the Reds, who burned ace Edinson Volquez after pre-game warmups were followed by a delay of 2 hours and 10 minutes and ended up with Matt Maloney (0-1) as a substitute starter.

"I'm going to give the Cardinals two thumbs up for what they did," the Reds' Brandon Phillips said. "They changed their pitcher on us at the last minute, that was a very smart thing to do.

"The next thing you know they brought in their starter who was going to start the game, and he was fresh."

Reds manager Dusty Baker thought the forecast was favorable to play much longer. He said Volquez perhaps could start Sunday night in the series finale.

"The information we received was probably not the same information they received," Baker said. "We probably shouldn't have started in the first place. We thought there was going to be a window of opportunity."

Batista opened with a four-pitch walk to Drew Stubbs and threw two more pitches to Phillips before a fierce storm prompted tornado warning sirens at least three times brought the game to a halt.

"It was bad. They put me out of the game and I was throwing a no-no," Batista joked.

Phillips homered and Stubbs had two hits and a steal for the Reds, who have lost seven of nine and fell a game behind the Cardinals in the NL Central while dropping out of first place for the first time. Phillips was booed mercilessly before each at-bat and pumped his fist in triumph after singling in the third, but kept his head down while sprinting around the bases after his second homer in the fifth.

Phillips joked he'd changed his name to "Boo."

"They were just calling my name. I feel like I was back at home," Phillips said. "The fans, they love me here."

Maloney faced 15 hitters in two-plus innings in his first start since July 11, 2010, at Philadelphia. He gave up eight hits and a walk, but left trailing only 3-0 because of some key outs, striking out Yadier Molina with the bases loaded to end the first and stranding two more runners in the second when Matt Holliday popped to center for the third out.

The Reds were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position against McClellan (3-0), who allowed two runs while scattering seven hits and two walks. This was technically the longest career relief outing for McClellan, a setup man last season who has held opponents to only three hits in 29 at-bats with runners in scoring position for the season.

"I think they did a good job figuring out the weather conditions," McClellan said. "I'm not a very patient person so it was a little difficult but not too much different than what I've done in the past.

"I just waited until they said the game starts in 20 minutes, it doesn't take me that long."

Mitchell Boggs got the last four outs for his second save in two chances, finishing against the top of the Reds' order. Cincinnati had two men on with two outs in the eighth when catcher Molina caught Chris Heisey straying well off first with a throw, ending up with a tag- out of Miguel Cairo at third.

"We made a couple mistakes, a couple big mistakes, a couple young mistakes," Baker said.

Rookie Eduardo Sanchez relieved McClellan with two on and no outs in the seventh and threw two wild pitches with a walk, but allowed only Jonny Gomes' sacrifice fly.

The Reds threw out two Cardinals on the basepaths in the fifth, with right fielder Jay Bruce's perfect relay nipping Holliday at third and catcher Ramon Hernandez easily getting Molina trying to steal to end the inning.

NOTES: RHP Jake Westbrook, 1-2 with a 9.82 ERA after four starts, is set to pitch on three days' rest Sunday night for the Cardinals. Westbrook gave up seven runs in three innings, his shortest outing since May 2, 2007, in a loss to Nationals on Wednesday. ... Reds RHP Johnny Cueto (biceps-triceps) struggled in his second rehab appearance for Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, allowing eight runs -- five earned -- on nine hits in 1 2-3 innings. Cueto is scheduled for another rehab start Tuesday. ... The Reds have allowed a major league-high 24 runs in the first inning, giving up 11 the last six games with at least one each game.

Cards-Reds rivalry just another series

By Andrew Astleford/ foxsportsmidwest.com

ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa addressed the intrigue to come.

On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals manager spoke to the media about his team earning its second straight victory over the Washington Nationals at Busch Stadium. He saw a two-hit, complete-game pitching performance by Kyle Lohse. He saw Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols crush home runs to left field. He saw the Cardinals' once-maligned offense complete a string of 16 runs produced over two days.

Then a question: Do you look forward to measuring yourself against the Cincinnati Reds?

"Not anymore than I was looking forward to measuring against San Francisco or Arizona or L.A. or Washington," La Russa said, referring to recent opponents.

"That is what this league is about. You get measured every time."

***

Ah, the Reds.

Just another team, some in the Cardinals clubhouse say. Another game. Another series.

A brief history lesson suggests otherwise.

In January 2008, the Reds hired former Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty as a special assistant. Three months later, he was promoted to general manager.

In August, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips said, "I hate the Cardinals," before starting a three-game series against St. Louis in Cincinnati. The next day, benches cleared in the first inning. Players brawled.

In September, the Reds clinched the NL Central title for the first time since 1995. The Cardinals won the season series, 12-6, but they finished in second place by five games.

In February, there was an allegation that Reds left fielder Jonny Gomes celebrated after learning of St. Louis pitcher 's season-ending Tommy John surgery. Gomes has denied the report.

On Friday at Busch Stadium, Cincinnati and St. Louis played their first of 15 games against each other this season. The Cardinals won, 4- 2. The rivalry was renewed. What is the state of the series? How will it evolve? Will players on either side admit this one means more?

"I hope it's baseball on the field," said Cincinnati third baseman Scott Rolen, a former Cardinal. "I hope that's where the rivalry is. I hope the rivalry is two teams that hopefully will be at the top of the division and fighting down the stretch for the National League Central. I think that's a good rivalry. I think we have a good ballclub here, and I think they do over there. I hope that's where it stays."

***

The instigator grinned.

Phillips wants Cardinals fans to know he loves the boos. The boos energize him. The boos let him know that he has their attention, that he makes them think. He loves the noise.

Before the game, Phillips stood in front of a clubhouse stall with his red cap flipped backward over his head. He has heard some elevate the Reds-Cardinals series to the same emotional level reserved for Yankees-Red Sox.

Phillips does not see it that way. At least he will not admit so. He said the Reds are trying to find ways to win in this young season. St. Louis is the next stop on the journey.

Sure, he likes to tweak Cardinals fans with tweets like the one published Friday that read, "Attention: Brandon Phillips just change his name for this series to ‘Boo Phillips'! I hope #BooPhillips goes HAM tonight!" But he wants fans to know that is him. That is his personality. The boos please him.

"I can't wait to get booed," Phillips said. "Even though the boos don't really do anything to me, it lets me know that they had nice dreams about me the night before."

There are subtle signs that Phillips has found something more in this series. Something beyond the boos. Something deeper than the showmanship.

He said Cincinnati has the talent to replicate last season's success. And he knows what happened then. The Reds shook the Cardinals. The Reds made the Cardinals pay attention. The bench-clearing brawl. The NL Central race. The race's result.

"I feel like we're the same team," Phillips said. "I think we know exactly what everybody on the team can do."

***

They remember.

St. Louis second baseman Daniel Descalso and center fielder Colby Rasmus know what Cincinnati can do. The memory is fresh.

They also know they must wait. They must learn their team's identity.

Phillips' taunts, the feuds -- those episodes are history. Perhaps the Reds-Cardinals series will simmer once more in a few months. Now? It is too early to tell.

"Right now, I think we're taking it as any other series," Descalso said. "We need to go out there and compete. And we want a series win."

"I just see them as another team that I'm trying to go out there and beat," Rasmus said. "I don't see them as a bitter rival."

Descalso and Rasmus know about the chatter. Unlike Rasmus, some outside the clubhouse see the Reds and Cardinals as bitter rivals. They want to see if the first Reds-Cardinals series this season will reveal something new. A spark.

The chatter is a product of memory, not reality. Cincinnati and St. Louis entered Friday night tied for the NL Central lead at 10-9. Still, it is 19 games. Much will be won, lost and learned between now and September. The season's prologue is still being written.

Perhaps the final chapter will include a twist. Will the Chicago Cubs rise? Will the scrap for the lead? Will either the Reds or Cardinals stumble? Will both?

Now, anything is possible.

"It just feels like any other series right now," Descalso said. "We know what happened last year with the Reds, and hopefully that is all behind us now."

"We're just playing another team," Rasmus said. "We're just playing another team."

***

After St. Louis' victory over Cincinnati, La Russa put the result in perspective.

A new season was still young. The heated Reds-Cardinals matchups last season were memories, not reality. Perhaps the rivalry will create another timeless moment this summer. For now, the stage awaits a new script. The possibilities are bound only by imagination.

"We're not even out of April," La Russa said "I don't care what club you are. You try to put your game together. You try to accumulate wins. Sometimes things click. Sometimes you're going to struggle. That's why it's so fascinating to watch the season, because you're not going to be able to figure out what's going to happen. We try to take care of our business whoever we play against."

Another game. Another series.

Reds' Phillips savors being the bad guy

By David Wilhelm/ bnd.com

ST. LOUIS -- Brandon Phillips was prepared for the boos Friday night, as he remains Public Enemy No. 1 in the eyes of St. Louis Cardinals fans.

"Ever since I've been here, I've just been Tweeting the fans and trying to get on their nerves a little bit because I know they're going to boo me," said the gregarious Cincinnati Reds second baseman, who regularly posts comments on Twitter.

"I'm going to send a nice little Tweet before the game again," he said. "I can't wait to get booed, even though the boos don't really do anything to me. It's just letting me know that they had nice dreams about me the night before."

Phillips and the Reds are at Busch Stadium for a weekend series against the Cardinals, with the teams sharing first place in the National League Central. It's the first meeting of the season between the rivals.

Phillips, of course, was the instigator in the ugly brawl last Aug. 10 at in Cincinnati. Phillips made some disparaging comments about the Cardinals before the series, and emotions boiled over when he tapped the shinguards of St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina in the first inning.

In the ensuing brawl, Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto kicked Cardinals backup catcher Jason LaRue in the face. LaRue suffered a concussion and retired after the season without playing in another game.

The Reds returned to St. Louis for a series Sept. 3, and there were no more shenanigans. Phillips, however, was roundly booed.

"If I hit a home run, they're going to boo me," Phillips said Friday. "If I get out, they're going to boo me."

The simmering Reds-Cardinals rivalry seemed to add another chapter in spring training when it was reported that Cincinnati left fielder Jonny Gomes celebrated in song at the news of pitcher Adam Wainwright being lost to the Cardinals for the season with a torn ligament in his elbow. Gomes later apologized.

Phillips tried to defuse any bad blood that might still exist.

"We don't want anybody getting hurt," Phillips said. "Just like what happened to Adam Wainwright in spring training. We really wish him all the best. But we have to go out there and compete. All we can really do is go out there and play the game and worry about ourselves. We're all family. We really hope he gets better.

"My prayers have always been with Jason LaRue. He used to be over here with the Reds. I played with him. He's a great guy and he was a great teammate. It's sad what happened. But in the heat of battle, some things happen. But right now, we're just trying to go out there and get some wins for the Queen City."

Phillips spends much of his free time stirring things up on Twitter. Upon landing in St. Louis on Thursday night, he posted the following Tweet: "My teammates ask me if I knew where some good places 2 eat at in St. Louis. I said, 'Yeah, come with me 2 the store 2 get some Lunchables!'"

Naturally, fans again were on Phillips' case Friday.

"There's a lot of places I eat here in St. Louis," Phillips said, flashing his broad smile. "Pappy's (Smokehouse) is delicious. I love that place to death. The Lunchables thing was just that somebody said something (like), 'You better watch what you eat here. They might poison your food like they did Michael Jordan.' I was like, 'What? I think I better go to the store and get some Lunchables.' "Somebody said, 'Brandon, why don't you Tweet that?' So I was like, 'All right.' The majority of my Tweets are like a team effort. (My teammates) support me. They're glad I'm on Twitter and I'm just having a good time with it. It's all good."

Phillips visited the St. Louis Galleria before the game Friday. He said he was recognized by many Cardinals fans.

"I went to the mall and they were booing me," Phillips said. "I was like, 'Hey, what's happening?' I love the fans. St. Louis fans have their team's back. That's one thing about it that's real nice. Other than that, man, I'm going to keep on Tweeting and acting a fool like I always do."

Phillips said the fans he encountered were mostly friendly.

"A lot of people took pictures with me," Phillips said. "They're saying, 'Ah, Brandon, you're cool, man. We didn't really know you were like that. I wish there were more Cardinals players like you.' Then after that, they were like, 'Boo!'

"It's all good. People have their own opinion. They like what they like. A lot of people don't really know what type of person I really am. That's why if I say one word about me, I just say, 'Misunderstood' until people really get to know what type of person I am.

"All you have to do is follow me on Twitter and you'll know what type of person I really am. I say a lot of jokes. I like to get on people's nerves a little bit, especially the fans. I just love playing this game. I play it one way and that's just having a good time and doing it the best way I know how."

Batista's start pays off for Cards in victory over Reds

By David Wilhelm/ bnd.com

ST. LOUIS -- With rain pushing toward Busch Stadium minutes before the start of the St. Louis Cardinals' game against Cincinnati on Friday, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa made a quick decision.

Under an ominous sky, La Russa gave the ball to Miguel Batista rather than the scheduled starter, Kyle McClellan.

Batista, 40, warmed up, made the start and threw just six pitches in two minutes before heavy rain began to fall that caused a delay of 2 hours, 10 minutes.

After the delay, McClellan took over, giving the Cardinals the upper hand because Reds starter Edinson Volquez, who had warmed up to face the Cardinals in the first, was unable to return after the break. Instead, Cincinnati threw left-hander Matt Maloney in what was to amount to a bullpen game.

The Cardinals pounced on Maloney for eight hits and three runs in two-plus innings and went on to win 4-2. Maloney was relieved in the third by Jordan Smith and was tagged with the loss.

The start for Batista was his first with the Cardinals and his first since July 27, 2010, with Washington, when he was an emergency starter for Stephen Strasburg in a game against the .

Progress report

Second baseman Skip Schumaker (right triceps strain) and pitchers Brian Tallet (broken right hand) and Bryan Augenstein (strained right groin) are progressing from their respective injuries.

"I'm keeping in baseball shape; that's the main thing," said Schumaker, who has been told he will miss anywhere from two to six weeks.

Schumaker still hasn't begun a throwing program, although he fielded grounders for the first time since he suffered the injury April 15.

"I don't feel anything just walking around," Schumaker said. "Certain movements you feel, like trying to extend it --that type of things. That's going to have to go away before I start hitting and throwing."

Schumaker said hitting will present the biggest trouble in his rehab, since that is how the injury occurred. He has no clue when he will be healthy enough to return.

"They've told me two to six weeks. I'm hoping for the two," he said. "I know it's not going to be two, because I've got another few days before I'm throwing. So it can't be two. I'm hoping it's right in the middle of that, like three or four." Tallet, who has a cast on his right hand, threw 25 to 30 pitches in the bullpen Friday without wearing a glove.

"It is different," he said. "It's something you're not used to doing, but it's something that can be a blessing in disguise because you take away the weight of the glove. You have to throw the ball properly to be able to throw strikes."

Tallet expects to return during the first week of May.

"I'm going to be able to stay sharp," Tallet said. "I'll continue to throw bullpens, throw every day and do the necessary things you need."

Augenstein is riding a stationary bike, but little else.

"I can't really do anything, as far as throwing, until the pain's gone completely," Augenstein said. "I've been pushing it a little bit to get it where it needs to be.

"I'm not sure what their plan is, after I get back throwing, as far as how long that will take (to get ready). But I should be pretty close to throwing soon. They're being cautious. It's something that can't be 90 percent and come back with it."

Rolen ailing

Cincinnati third baseman Scott Rolen on Thursday received two cortisone injections to combat discomfort in his neck and left shoulder. The former Cardinal was not in the lineup Friday night, but said he might play today.

"I don't accept that stuff very well, so I'm probably worse today than yesterday," Rolen said. "This is 10 days that I've been struggling with it. It got to the point where I went in and talked to the doctor and actually got an ice pack.

"I'm not worried about it. I'm not getting cut on or anything. But I'm concerned enough about it to go get a couple of injections and see where we are."

Rolen doesn't anticipate that the bad blood between the Reds and Cardinals last season to spill over into the weekend series.

"We've played since then," he said. "We came back here and played last year after that and nothing happened. They have a different team over there; we have a different team over here. To think we're going to start throwing at each other's head isn't what we're talking about here.

"I think we're going to go out and compete and try to play a series --and hopefully play some baseball on the field. I don't know if guys are upset on their side; I don't know if guys are upset on this side. What's healthy about a rivalry is when you have two good teams playing and the games matter.

Memphis drops four in a row

By Steve Selby/ memphisredbirds.com

Omaha, NE - The Redbirds were shutout for the second time in three nights as they were blanked by Omaha 1-0 Wednesday night at Werner Park.

Mike Moustakas' RBI-single in the first inning was the only flaw for 'Birds starter Lance Lynn. The right-hander allowed just one run on four hits over 7.1 innings to take the loss (1-2).

Memphis, on the other hand, had ample opportunity to come from behind. The Redbirds stranded runners in scoring position in seven of the nine innings, stranding thirteen runners overall while going 1-for14 with runners in scoring position. Nick Stavinoha and Matt Carpenter led the Redbirds with two hits apiece as Memphis out-hit Omaha eight to four.

Greg Holland (1-0) worked two innings of relief to pick up the win while Luis Mendoza got the final five outs for his first save.

The Redbirds have lost four in a row and nine of their last ten (4-10) after opening the season 3-1. They will try to avoid their second sweep of the season tonight when they take on the Storm Chasers at 7:05 pm. Notes: The Redbirds have scored first in only one of their fourteen games. They lost that one game to April 14...Memphis has drawn 63 walks this season, but have converted just five of those into runs.

Tonight's Probables: Memphis - RHP - (0-1, 1.59) Omaha - LHP Mike Montgomery (1-1, 3.00)

Omaha sweeps Redbirds

Commercial Appeal

Storm Chasers 3, Redbirds 2

OMAHA, Neb. -- Clint Robinson's second homer of the night gave Omaha a 3-2 win Friday night and a sweep of the four-game series with the Redbirds.

Robinson's homer led off the eighth inning off Victor Marte (0-1), who had just come on to begin the inning for Memphis in a 2-2 game.

Omaha threatened in the seventh as the Storm Chasers put runners at first and third with no outs. Redbirds pitcher Adam Ottavino left in favor of Rich Rundles, who struck out , the Kansas City Royals' top prospect, for the first out. He then coaxed Mike Moustakas to hit into an inning-ending double play.

The Redbirds scored first on ' two-out single in the second off Mike Montgomery. The hit scored Matt Carpenter, who had singled.

Memphis made it 2-0 in the third when Nick Stavinoha crushed a Montgomery pitch that carried out to center field. The homer was Stavinoha's second of the season.

Omaha closed to 2-1 in the third on Robinson's first homer of the night. They tied the score in the sixth on a ground ball to second baseman Freddie Bynum with runners at first and third. That set the stage for Robinson's heroics.

The loss was the Redbirds' fifth in a row and the 10th in 11 games. Memphis completed a 1-6 trip.

Cards Fall in 11, 7-6

Springfieldcardinals.com

Tulsa, OK - After a tough loss against Tulsa in game two of the series on Thursday night, the Cardinals looked to regain their lead in the series with a victory on Friday night with Michael Blazek on the mound.

Springfield would strike first in the top of the 1st inning against Tulsa starter Josh Sullivan. With one out, Ryan Jackson drew a walk and scored on an RBI double from to put the Cards up 1-0. Alex Castellanos followed by getting hit by a pitch and Tyler Henley walked to load the bases, but Niko Vasquez and Nick Derba failed to put the ball in play and Springfield left the bases loaded.

With two outs in the 2nd, the Cardinals got a single from and an RBI double down the left field line from Ryan Jackson to put Springfield in front 2-0.

Michael Blazek ran into trouble in the 2nd after walking the first two batters of the inning and allowing a single to Scott Beerer to load the bases with no outs. After striking out Lars Davis, Blazek fell behind eight-hitter Tommy Field 3-1 and grooved a fastball that Field hit over the left field wall for a to put Tulsa in front 4-2. Blazek came back to strike out the next two batters to keep the deficit at just two runs.

Tulsa added to their lead in the 4th as Scott Beerer blasted a solo home run to straight away center field to put the Drillers ahead 5-2.

Springfield responded with a homer of their own in the 5th as Matt Adams hit a solo shot, his 3rd of the year, to bring the Cardinals within two again, 5-3.

In the 6th, Nick Derba lifted an opposite field home run to right field to put the Cardinals down just a run 5-4. Springfield would have runners at first and second with no outs after the homer, but Tommy Pham grounded into a double play and Ryan Jackson lined out to center to strand the tying run at 3rd base.

The Cardinals would come all the way to tie the game in the 7th as Alex Castellanos homered to right field to even the score at 5-5. Springfield would have a tremendous opportunity to take the lead in the 8th with the bases loaded and one out, but Matt Adams bounced into an inning ending double play to keep the game tied.

Blazek would leave the game after 5.2 innings of work after allowing 5 runs on 4 hits with a season high 5 walks and 5 strikeouts. The Springfield bullpen of Nick Greenwood (1.1 innings) and Jose Rada (2 innings) would keep Cardinals square at 5-5 going into the 10th inning.

Jose Garcia would start the rally from Springfield with a one out double and aft= er Eric Duncan was intentionally walked, Garcia stole third to put runners on the corners. Tommy Pham then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Garcia giving the Cardinals their first lead, 6-5, since the 2nd inning.

Casey Mulligan would come in for the 10th and, on the first pitch he threw to the plate, Tim Wheeler blasted a solo homer into the Tulsa bullpen in right center field to tie the game 6-6. It was only the second blown save for Mulligan on the season.

In the bottom of the 11th with Mulligan still on the mound, Wilin Rosario led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice . After a walk, Mike Daniel grounded a ball to Matt Adams at first who threw the ball off the back of Tommy Field running to second base and the ball rolled into shallow centerfield allowing Rosario to score the game winning run.

Springfield will conclude their series with the Drillers Saturday night in Tulsa at 7:05pm. The Cardinals will send right hander Scott Schneider to the mound against righty Juan Nicasio of Tulsa in the final game of the four-game set.

The Cardinals will return to Hammons Field Monday to begin an eight-game homestand against the NW Arkansas Naturals and . Every Monday this year is Fazoli's Family Four Pack night where a family of four can receive four tickets, four shirts and a family meal for four at Fazoli's for just $40! Game time on Monday is 7:07pm and tickets are available by visiting the Hammons Field Ticket Office, online at springfieldcardinals.com or by calling (417) 863-2143.

Escape to Cardinals Baseball!

Kelly Leads Cardinals to 2-1 Victory

By Tyler Krochmal /

JUPITER, Fla. - Joe Kelly struck out eight and allowed just one as the Palm Beach Cardinals (5-11) defeated the (7-9) by a final of 2-1 Friday night at . The win broke a four-game losing streak for Palm Beach.

Kelly (1-0, 2.08 ERA) battled through 6.1 innings, scattering seven hits and one walk while striking out eight. The right-hander, selected by the Cardinals in the 3rd round of the 2009 First-Year Player draft out of the University of California Riverside, managed to escape numerous jams throughout the night, even minimizing a potential threat when allowing a run. The Hammerheads put runners on second and third with nobody out in the fifth but were held to just a RBI-groundout from J.L. Ortiz.

The Cardinals had plenty of scoring opportunities off Jupiter starter Rob Rasmussen (0-2, 7.71 ERA) but were only able to capitalize in the fourth inning with a pair. Xavier Scruggs hit a RBI-triple following an Alan Ahmady walk to plate the first run, followed immediately by Audry Perez's RBI-double. Scruggs also had a double earlier in the contest, his first two hits in 2011 after being activated April 17.

Chase Reid continued his dominance by tossing 1.2 innings of perfect relief, striking out three along the way. Reid extends his scoreless- inning stretch to 18.2 innings spanning back to last season. Jorge Rondon came in for the ninth inning to record his second save with a perfect frame.

Scruggs finished 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI, Ahmady went 1-for-2 with a run scored and Perez, with his double, has now reached base in all 11 games played.

Ten of the first 16 games for the Cardinals have been decided by one run in the early going, with the team going 3-7 thus far.

Palm Beach will look to build on tonight's victory as the team travels to Bradenton for a three-game weekend series with the Marauders. Right-hander Eric Fornataro (0-1, 2.45 ERA) takes the hill for the Cardinals against righty Jeffrey Inman (0-0, 2.25 ERA) for the Marauders. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. from McKechnie Field.

Bandits' Rosenthal opening eyes with the 'K'

By Matt Veto/ qconline.com

Quad Cities River Bandits pitching coach Tim Leveque says strikeouts are an indicator of a guy's "stuff" – his pitching prowess and ability to get outs.

Trevor Rosenthal has good stuff.

The Bandits starter was the 21st round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2009 draft. In QC's six-man rotation, he is the third-lowest pick. Yet he was the guy who got the call on opening day and is the guy that ranks second in the in strikeouts with 21. He bagged that total in three fewer innings than the leader who has 23.

Rosenthal is both the ace and the dark horse.

"He's a guy that we always knew had a good arm," Leveque said. "When he was in high school and in college, he wasn't a full-time pitcher. He's just getting used to pitching every day and he's starting to learn the intricacies of throwing off-speed and adjusting to the routine of throwing every sixth day."

The Cardinals plucked Rosenthal from Cowley Community College in Arkansas City, Kan., where he had played just one season. At barely 19 years old, the Kansas City suburbanite chose the pros without hesitation. He was officially drafted as a relief pitcher, though he was a shortstop by trade.

Now he's a starting pitcher.

"To get the opening day start was huge," Rosenthal said. "To get that kind of recognition from the organization and to be that guy – on a team with a ton of prospects – to open the season, that was a huge accomplishment in itself. I really worked hard this off-season going into spring training."

That showed in the season opener. While hardly polished, Rosenthal was extraordinarily overpowering.

The bad? He gave up an RBI double in the first inning, hit two batters and walked another in the second, and allowed a run to score on a wild pitch.

The extraordinary? Of the 12 outs he recorded in his four-inning start, 11 were strikeouts. He can't remember ever striking out that many batters in such a short stint. He did it almost solely with a fastball that lived in the mid-90 mph range.

Rosenthal struck out seven more in a less eventful seven-inning outing in which he picked up a win in Kane County on April 13. He gave up just a run on four hits. He also trimmed his , needing just 92 to get through the game versus the 77 he threw in his first start.

Rosenthal is showing statistical improvement as well as mental growth as observed by his coaches. He had a 4.88 ERA in his first pro season as a 19-year-old in the Gulf Coast League. He had a 2.25 ERA in Johnson City, sitting out a fair portion of the season with forearm tightness. In three starts this season, he has a 2.16 ERA in 16.2 innings.

"Going into this year, I kind of have a different mindset," Rosenthal said. "I want to get more strikeouts than I have in the past. In the past, it was more, `Get outs as quick as possible.' But now, I want to get those punchouts and maybe open some eyes."

Eyes opened.