st. Louis Cardinals (17-6) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (12-12) Game #24 N Busch stadium N May 3, 2015 Michael Wacha (4-0, 2.42) vs. vance Worley (2-2, 4.50) K BIRD WATCHING: The 2014 N.L. Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals have opened their 124th season of TODAY’s GAME : The Cardinals continue their play with a 7-0-1 series record and are in 1st place in the NL Central, 3.5 games ahead of Chicago...the Car - longest (11 games) homestand of the season dinals improved to 10-2 at Busch Stadium with a 2-1 win in 11 innings yesterday, improving their homestand today when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates in record to 5-1...the Cardinals own the NL’s best run differential (+39) and the majors top winning pct. (.739). the finale of thier three-game series with first K FAsT sTARTs: The Cardinals 17-6 start to the season is their best since 1944 (also 17-6) and it matches pitch set for 1:15 p.m. CT...the Cardinals will host the franchise’s best pre-1900 mark through the first 23 games, accomplished twice previously (1941 & the Phillies (3-1), Pirates (2-0) and Cubs (4 1944)...1941 & 1944 were also the only prior seasons that the Cardinals got off to an 18-6 start. games) during the current homestand...the Car - K sTAYING sTINGY: The Cardinals 53 earned runs allowed thus far through 23 games are their fewest since dinals will play the Pirates in 4 of their next 8 allowing just 49 in 1944...they allowed 64 last year thru 23 games and also in 2012... WEEKEND TITLE FIGHT: games, traveling to the Burgh next weekend fol - The Cardinals (2.28) and Pirates (2.84) entered today’s game as the majors number 1 and number 2 ranked lowing a four-game set earlier in the week with teams in ERA. the Cubs...the Cardinals have won seven consec - K WALKING THE PIRATEs OFF THE PLANK: St. Louis has posted seven walk-off wins against the Pirates over utive series, a season high 5-straight games and the past three seasons and in three consecutive games dating to last season... sAC. FLY GAME-WINNERs: 8 of their last 10 games...St. Louis is in a stretch Matt Carpenter’s sacrifice fly walk-off RBI was the first by a Cardinal since Carpenter also had a sac. fly walkoff of 20 games in 20 days (4/21-5/10) and is cur - winner in the 10th inning on April 17, 2012 vs. Cincinnati. rently in sole possession of 1st place in the NL K ONE & DONE: With the win in Friday night’s victory, Randy Choate tied Scott Radinksy for the majors most Central...they are 9-3 thru the first 12 games of wins (8) while facing just one batter...Choate owns the STL all-time mark for such wins with 5. ( Orf/SABR ). their current 20-games in 20-days stretch... K EvERYDAY GUYs: Matt Carpenter reached base safely by hit or walk in each of his first 19 games before today’s promotional giveaway is an adult per - having the streak halted on Wed. night...Matt Holliday drew a walk yesterday, extending his streak of reaching formance t-shirt for fans ages 16 and older. safely, doing so in each of his 22 games played...it’s first time since 1925 (Jim Bottomley, 24 & Bob O’Farrell, 20) that two Cards teammates started a season with on-base streaks of 19+ games. CARDINALs vs. PITTsBURGH: K YOUTH MOvEMENT: The Cardinals tandem of Michael Wacha (4 wins) & Carlos Martinez (3 wins) repre - season: 19 games; next meeting, 5/8-10 at PIT sent the first pair of teammates age 24 or younger to combine for 7 wins in their team’s first 20 games since the Mets Dwight Gooden (4) & Sid Fernandez (3) did so in 1986 ( Orf/SABR )...Wacha is the first Cardinals 2015: 2-0 (2-0 at STL, 0-0 at PIT) starter to go 4-0 in first four starts of a season at the age of 23 years or younger since Fred Frankhouse, who 2014: 11-8 (8-2 at STL, 3-6 at PIT) in 1927 won each of his first five starts. All-Time: 1,089-1,134 (47-26 at Busch Std. III) K “v” Is FOR vICTORY: Carlos Villanueva, who worked 3.2 perfect innings in relief on Thursday to earn his Last Time sTL sweep: 9/1-3/14 at STL 2nd win of the season, blanked the Pirates yesterday in the 11th, securing his 3rd win of the young season. Last Time PIT sweep: 9/12-14/08 at PIT K TWICE As NICE: Matt Carpenter’s 14 doubles thru the first 23 games are 3rd behind STL Browns Beau RECORD BREAKDOWN Bell (16 in 1937), Cubs Billy Herman (15 in 1936) & NY Giants Frank Frisch (15 in 1926)... EXTRA, EXTRA: Car - By Day By Month penter’s had at least one extra base hit in 15 of the first 23 games - most ever by a Cardinal - and his 18 By Day By Month extra base hits are T2nd with Stan Musial (1954 & 1948), trailing only Joe Medwick’s 19 in 1937 thru the Monday 0-2 Spring 13-11-3 first 23 games. Tuesday 1-1 April 15-6 Wednesday 3-1 May 2-0 BIRD BANTER... vs. PITTsBURGH: .206 (14-68) 0 HR HOMEsTAND: .278 (55-198) 1 HR Thursday 3-0 June 0-0 K #32 MATT ADAMs: streak: 5G (10-19, .526) HR series: 2-6, .333 Homestand: .455 (10-22) HR Friday 3-1 July 0-0 [ PH single yest...walk-off single in 10th on Fri.; 2nd career, both vs. PIT...RBI in last 4 Gs...hit HR #3 on Thu.; 3 RBI... tied for Saturday 4-0 August 0-0 sTL w/15 RBI (T13th NL)...tied for MLB lead w/5 GW-RBI (Cruz, sEA)...hit 2 doubles on Wed...has RBI in 11-of-last-19 Gs Sunday 3-1 Sept./Oct. 0-0 K #8 PETER BOURJOs: streak: 1G (2-4, .500) series: 2-5, .400 Homestand: .500 (5-10) By Seriies [ Was 2-4 yest...batting .500 over last 4Gs...batted 1st on Wed., went 2-4, 3B, RBI...leads sTL (T10th NL) w/4 sB (4-6), 3 as PR 2G 3G 4G 5G K #13 MATT CARPENTER: streak: 0-3 series: 2-7, .286 Homestand: .364 (8-22) Won --- 6 1 --- [ Ranks 3rd in NL batting (.366), 2nd in hits (34)...leads MLB with 16 multi-hit games & 14 doubles, 2nd in NL runs (21)...had Lost --- --- --- --- 12G hit streak from 4/12-25 (.423 BA)...tied for MLB lead w/18 extra base hits...has 2 lead-off HR this season (4/19 & 4/22) & Split 1 --- --- --- 6 career (T3rd sTL all-time)...7 str. multi-hit games (4/12-19) & 5 str. G’s with a dbl. (4/13-18)...NL Player of Week for 4/13-19. Sweeps --- 1 --- --- K #48 TONY CRUZ: streak: 0-4 series: DNP Homestand: .000 (0-1) Opp. Sweeps --- --- --- --- [ Has 3 starts this season, made 1st start 4/23 at MIL...caught 31.0 IP w/2.90 CA ERA...had 35 starts in ‘14 w/sTL going 19-16 K #22 JAsON HEYWARD: streak: 1G (1-1, 1.000) series: 1-3, .333 Homestand: .286 (4-14) MIKE MATHENY: Mike Matheny has begun his 4th season as the Cardinals manager, having taken [ PH single yest...2 sB on Fri....tied career high w/3 BB on Tue...hit HR #2 at MIL (4/24)...left game at MIL (4/26), left groin his teams to the postseason in each of his first K #7 MATT HOLLIDAY: streak: 0-8 series: 0-7, .000 Homestand: .300 (6-20) three seasons and becoming just the 15th man - [ Leads MLB in BA w/RIsP (.588, 10-17)...ranks 5th in NL batting (.357) and 2nd in OBP (.473)...3rd on sTL w/14 RBI...hit 2 ager in MLB history to record 275 or more wins in doubles, 2 RBI on Thu...has walked in 14-of-22 Gs, 18 total (T2nd NL)...reached base safely in all of his 22 games...hit 1st HR of his first three years...Matheny in 2012 became the season at MIL (4/25), 3-run HR...posted 12G hit streak (4/5-21; .425 BA) ... tied career high w/4 hits at WAs (4/21)...has 4 49th manager in St. Louis Cardinals history and in GWRBI (T2nd NL)...has 91 career GWRBI w/sTL, 3rd all-time (T1st in MLB w/Pujols since joining Cardinals 7/24/09) 2013 he took his team to the World Series in just K #19 JON JAY: streak: 4G (7-19, .368) series: 3-10, .300 Homestand: .333 (7-21) his second season at the helm with a league-best [ Had 2-out single in 11th inn. rally yest...reached base safely in last 8G...was 2-5 with GW-run after 2-out single in 10th on 97-wins...in 2014, Mike guided the Cardinals to Fri...batting .368 when hitting in #1 spot (7-19, 3 RBI)...leads team w/3 HBP (T2nd NL); 23 HBP in 2014-15 (T1st MLB, Rizzo) the N.L. Central title and their 4th-straight trip to K #38 PETE KOZMA: streak: 3G (3-5, .600) series: 1-1, 1.000 Homestand: .500 (2-4) the NLCS...he is the only Cardinals manager & just [ scored GW-run yest.