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Pujols Game Day

Best Rivalry in ALL of SPORTS!!

St. Louis Cardinals/Chicago Cubs

Albert Pujols/ Derrek Lee

Jim Edmonds/ Carlos Zambrano

Tony LaRussa/ Lou Pinella

The best rivalry in ALL of SPORTS is set to kick off tomorrow night in Baseball Heaven. The second place Chicago Cubs will invade St. Louis, to take on the third place St. Louis Cardinals. All three games are set to kick off at 7:10pm CST. Wednesday night’s game will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN2. These games are always important, and always heated, but as the season winds down the importance increases. The Cardinals MUST win to stay alive, the Cubs are trying to win, to take over first place.

Tuesday night looks like a blowout on paper. The Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano is set to take the mound against the struggling Cardinals righthander Kip Wells. Zambrano is 12-7 with a 3.69 on the season, while Wells is 4-12, with a 5.75. Obviously, this looks like a game the Cubs should win. I mean 12 wins, against 12 losses. They are the lovable losers, and the Cardinals ARE the CHAMPS, so who knows. Zambrano has won his last two starts, and 7 of his last 10. His last start against the Giants, he only went 5 innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 walks, no runs, while striking out 3 in a 12-1 blowout win. His start before that he went 6.2 against the Astros, allowing only 3 hits, walking 3, striking out 7 in a 6-0 shutout win. Carlos is vieing to get into contention of the National League Cy Young after a rough start to his season. Zambrano is 6-4 with a 2.53 in his career against the Cardinals. Kip Wells on the other hand, is looking to avoid being the losingiest pitcher in Baseball. His last outing was fantastic, going 8 innings, giving up just 2 hits, no runs, walking 2 and striking out 4 in a 6-0 win over the Marlins. That was Kip’s first win since June 20, a bullpen win over the Kansas City Royals. Kip has not been good for most of 2007. Our guy, Albert Pujols is 1-3 on the season against Zambrano, with that hit being a solo homerun. For his career, Albert is 9 of 41, for a .220 batting average, with 3 homeruns, 7 rbi’s and walking 4 times in his career.

On Wednesday, the Cardinals will be forced to face the Cubs tough lefthander, Ted Lilly. Lilly is 10-4 on the season, with a 3.58 era. The Cardinals will throw big tall righthander Adam Wainwright, who is 9-7 with a 4.18 era during 2007. Lilly is 0-1 on the season against the Cardinals, as he went 7 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs in his last start. Wainwright is 0-1 on the season, and 0-1 in his career against the Cubs. Wainwright has won his last three starts, all three games he was able to pitch 7 strong innings, allowing 6, 6 and 5 hits, and just 1,0, and 2 runs. Lilly has won his last 6 decisions, and has not lost since June 5th, to the Brewers. Albert Pujols is 1-3 on the season against Lilly with a strikeout. For his career, Pujols is 2-6, striking out twice.

On Thursday, former Cardinals Jason Marquis will take the mound, and take on Cardinals hurler Braden Looper. Marquis is 7-5, with a 3.92 ERA, while Looper is 7-8 with a 5.09 ERA. Marquis is 1-0 on the season against the Cardinals, going 7 strong innings, while Looper has not faced the Cubs this year, but is 2-2 lifetime against the Cubs. Pujols is 1-6 on the season against Marquis, and is 4-9 in his career. Good luck Albert!

GO CARDINALS!