Pujols, Cards resume set with Braves

Baseball Betting Lines

07/21/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Albert Pujols is getting hot and will try to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a victory tonight when the club plays the third game of its four-game set with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Pujols homered for the fifth time in eight games following the All-Star break with a solo shot in Friday's 4-2 win over the Braves, giving him 21 on the season. He has driven in seven runs during the stretch and lifted his batting average to .319 on the season.

Juan Encarnacion drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of yesterday's victory, plating Pujols with a single, as the Cardinals won for the fourth time in six games and improved to 4-4 on their current 10-game road trip.

Adam Wainwright (9-7) allowed one run on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, while Jason Isringhausen worked out of a ninth-inning jam to earn his 19th save in 21 chances.

Scott Rolen, though, missed his third straight game due to a left shoulder injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Cardinals will send Braden Looper to the hill tonight, and the right- hander is coming off a win at Florida on Monday. Looper limited the Marlins to two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings to move his mark to 7-7 on the year with a 4.60 earned run average.

The victory halted a six-start losing streak (0-4) for Looper.

A former closer, Looper has never started against the Braves but has faced them 53 times out of the bullpen. In that span, he is 4-2 with eight saves and a 4.07 ERA.

Buddy Carlyle aims for his third straight winning decision when he toes the rubber for Atlanta. The 29-year-old twirled eight solid innings in a victory over San Diego on July 6 before besting Pittsburgh on Sunday behind eight innings of one-run, four-hit ball. Carlyle is 4-2 with a 4.00 ERA, and is undefeated over his last four outings (3-0).

The right-hander has made just one career appearance against the Cardinals, facing them in relief back on September 26, 2000. He threw a shutout inning, walking one and striking out a batter.

Carlyle will hope to get the Braves of their current skid, as the club has dropped four of its last five games. Chipper Jones went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Edgar Renteria also had a pair of hits in Atlanta's setback on Friday.

Rafael Soriano (2-2) absorbed the loss, allowing a pair of runs on four hits in the eighth. Starter Chuck James tossed seven frames, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

The defeat moved the Braves to 4-4 on their current 10-game homestand and has the second-place squad 3 1/2 games behind the Mets for the top spot in the National League East.

This series marks the first 2007 meeting between these teams. Atlanta won four of six matchups with St. Louis last season and is 5-2 in its last seven games against the Cardinals at Turner Field.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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