st. Louis Cardinals (61-34) vs. Atlanta Braves (45-50) Game #96 N Busch stadium N July 24, 2015 Tim Cooney (0-0, 3.33) vs. Manny Banuelos (1-1, 1.08) K BIRD WATCHING: The 2014 N.L. Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals are in the midst of their 124th season of TONIGHT’s GAME : The Cardinals & Atlanta play with an 19-7-4 series record and are in 1st place in the N.L. Central, 6.0 games ahead of Pittsburgh...the Car - Braves meet this Hall-of-Fame weekend for the dinals improved their post All-Star record to 5-1 with a 4-3 win last night vs. Kansas City as the majors’ top two first time in 2015, as they open their three-game teams squared off in the makeup for their June rainout...St. Louis has grown its lead in the NL Central from 2.5 weekend series with tonight’s 7:15 p.m. start... games to 6.0 since the All-Star break...the Cardinals are a season-high 27 games above .500 (also were +27 on June the Cardinals began the current homestand with 28, 51-24) & own the majors top winning pct. (.642) and top run differential (+105). a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals last night in K CALL TO THE HALL: With his former team in town this weekend, pitcher John Smoltz will be inducted into Base - a makeup of their June 14 rainout...the Redbirds ball’s Hall of Fame on Sunday...Smoltz appeared in seven games for the Cardinals in 2009 to conclude his brilliant finished the interleague portion of their 2015 career, gaining his final career win (#213) in his St. Louis debut on 8/23/09 at San Diego (5.0 scoreless IP & 9 K’s). slate with a 11-9 mark...St. Louis has won three- K FIRsT TO 60: The Cardinals became the majors first 60-win team on Wed., doing so for the first time since 2004 straight since dropping an 18 inning affair last when they reached 60 wins on July 21, one day ahead of the NY Yankees...as the old saying goes, “every team will Sunday to the Mets...they are 34-12 at Busch win 60 games and lose 60, it’s what they do with the other 42 games that is the difference maker”...the last time Stadium and 27-22 on the road this season... the Cardinals finished a season with fewer then 60 losses was 2004 (105-57). tonight’s game is the second of an 11-game K HOME RUN: The Cardinals bring a ML-best 34-12 (.739 win pct.) home W-L record into tonight’s game...St. Louis homestand with Kansas City (1), Atlanta (3), is in the midst of a stretch during which they will be home for 20 of 26 games dating to August 19. Cincinnati (3) and Colorado (4). K DOING MORE WITH LEss: Wed. night’s win improved the Cardinals record in games when scoring 3 or fewer runs to 21-26...they were 22-53 in such games last season...they had 25 such wins in 2009 and posted a club and CARDINALs vs. ATLANTA: Major League record 41 in 1968...St. Louis has 8 wins when scoring 2 runs or less; in 1968 they had 24 such wins. season: 6 games; next meeting, Oct. 2-4 at ATL 2014: 4-2 (2-1 at STL, 2-1 at ATL) BIRD BANTER... 2014 vs. BRAvEs: .295 (59-200) 1 HR HOMEsTAND: .233 (7-30) 2 HR K #8 PETER BOURJOs: streak: 0-3 series: 0-1, .000 Homestand: 0-1, .000 2013: 3-4 (3-1 at STL, 0-3 at ATL) [ Walked a career-high 3 times last sun...had key RBI-2B off bench last Fri. vs. NYM...3 of his 11 RBI have come in July...has 5 All-Time: 813-671 (17-12 at Busch Std. III) sB’s, 4 as PR... 6 of his last 13 hits are XBH (5-2B, 1-HR)...his 3 triples are T14th, NL...has batted leadoff in 11 games. Last Time sTL sweep: 9/9-11/11 at STL (3 gms) K #13 MATT CARPENTER: streak: 1G (1-4, .250) HR series: 1-4, .250, HR Homestand: 1-4, .250, HR Last Time ATL sweep: 7/26-28/13 at ATL (3 gms) [ Hit go-ahead 2-run HR (#10) last night, his 2nd GWRBI in last 3 games...2nd on team RBI (47) & T2nd HR (10)...batted lead - off on 7/11 for 1st time since 4/27...played 2B for 1st time since 2013 on 7/7 at CHI...ranks 12th in the NL in BA w/RIsP (25-67, .373)...ranks among NL leaders in doubles (21, T13th); runs (53, T9th); walks (49, T6th) & multi-hit games (29, T9th)...scored 2+ runs in 10G (sTL 9-1)...missed 4 Gs w/extreme fatigue 5/7-10...12G hit streak 4/12-25 (.423 BA)...7 straight multi-hit G’s RECORD BREAKDOWN (4/12-19); 5 str. G’s w/2B (4/13-18)...NL Player of Week 4/13-19...is Cardinals MLBPA Heart & Hustle winner for 3rd-str. year. By Day By Month K #48 TONY CRUZ: streak: 0-5 series: DNP Homestand: DNP Monday 4-5 Spring 13-11-3 [ Batting .400 BA in Close & Late (6-15)...season-high 2 hits in start at LAD (6/7)...3-20 as PHer...hit GWRBI double (2 RBI) vs. Tuesday 9-5 April 15-6 CHI (5/4)...has GWRBI in 3 of his last 4 Gs w/RBI...sTL is 4-5 in his starts in ‘15...played 2.0 inn. at 3B vs. COL (6/8) Wednesday 10-5 May 18-11 K #15 RANDAL GRICHUK: streak: 2G (3-8, .375) HR series: 2-4, .500, HR Homestand: 2-4, .500 Thursday 9-3 June 18-8 [ Leads sTL & T5th NL w/13 RBI in July (career best month)...2nd among MLB rookies with 33 XBH, T4th with 10 HR...33 of 60 hits are XBH’s (17-2B; 6-3B, 10-HR)...has team-high 5 multi-XBH gms...snapped his 8G hit streak (.438 BA, 2 HR) on Tue...3-3, 2 Friday 10-5 July 10-9 HR, career-high 6 RBI vs. NYM (7/18) & reached safely in all 5 PA; 2nd multi-HR game (6/20 at PHI)...ranks T2nd in NL triples Saturday 9-6 August 0-0 (6)...ranks among MLB rookies in doubles (17, T2nd), triples (6, T1st), HR (10, T4th) & RBI (34, 7th)...in 49 Gs batting .281 (56- Sunday 11-5 Sept./Oct. 0-0 199), 16-2B, 6-3B, 9-HR, 31 RBI...2nd on team w/6 def. gems...3/4 in sB att. K By Seriies #22 JAsON HEYWARD: streak: 1G (1-4, .250) series: 1-4, .250 Homestand: 1-4, .250 [ Has 6 sB in July (2nd NL)...tied career-best with 5 hits last sat. (9/26/13 vs. PHI)...team-high .390 July OBP...had 75th career 2G 3G 4G 5G sB last Fri; leads team with 14 sB (T12th NL)...batted .326, 4 HR, 14 RBI in June; leading sTL in BA & RBI...hit safely in 23-of-last- Won 2 14 3 --- 31 games (11 multi-hit Gs)... .288 BA (17-59) in No. 4 spot...tied his season-high with 8G hit streak 6/17-25...HR in 3 str. (6/21- Lost 2 4 1 --- 24), tied career high...five 3-hit games this season...has team-high .282 BA vs. LHP (1 HR)...team-high 5 OF assists...has increased Split 1 --- 3 --- BA .211 to .284 since 5/3. Sweeps 3 5 --- --- K #7 MATT HOLLIDAY: streak: 3G (4-8, .500) HR series: 1-1, 1.000 Homestand: 1-1, 1.000 Opp. Sweeps 2 --- --- --- [ Tied career-high w/3 BB last night...blasted his 6th career grand slam in Tue. win at CWs; his 275th career HR...returned from DL (right quad) on 7/17 (.333, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB; sTL 5-1)...missed 31 G’s while on DL; team went 18-13...had RBI triple on 6/7 at COL; 1st triple since ‘13...reached base safely in NL record 45 consec. games to begin season...at time of injury, ranked MIKE MATHENY: Mike Matheny is in the midst of 4th NL in OBP (.417); T16th in NL batting (.303), 4th in NL batting .400 w/RIsP (16-40)...has walked in 30-of-58 Gs; 37 BB’s his 4th season as the Cardinals manager, having total & 5 IBB...posted 12G hit streak (4/5-21; .425 BA) ... has 5 GWRBI. taken his teams to the postseason in each of his K #30 DAN JOHNsON: streak: 0-10 series: 0-2, .000 Homestand: 0-2, .000 first three seasons and becoming just the 15th [ Purchased from Memphis (AAA) on 7/8; .265, 11 HR, 42 RBI...had 2H/2RBI in his sTL debut 7/8 at CHI... .362 BA w/RIsP at manager in MLB history to record 275 or more AAA...career .236 BA, 57 HR, 201 RBI w/OAK, TB,CWs, BAL & TOR...hit 18 HR w/OAK in ‘07 & 15 in ‘05...3x MiLB league MvP wins in his first three years...won his 300th game K #38 PETE KOZMA: streak: 0-6 series: DNP Homestand: DNP [ Career .282 BA vs. NL East (best of any division)...had season-high 3 hits (3-3, RBI) at MIA (6/25) snapped 0-21 slide...has on May 17 in game no.