SB Nation St. Louis - Cardinals Fall To Cubs In Extra Innings

Jaime Garcia Injury Update: Cardinals Pitcher Sharp In Opening Rehab Game

2012-07-30T19:58:52Z

The St. Louis Cardinals hope to get SP Jaime Garcia back from him 60-day DL stint soon, and he made the first important step to that end, performing well in his opening minor league rehab game:

On rehab assignment, Garcia goes 2 1/3 scoreless in rehab start. Allows four hits, gets four groundouts, Ks one. #STLCards #Cardinals
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) July 30, 2012

Garcia, 25, an extreme ground ball pitcher, is at his best in games where he is inducing ground balls and limiting walks. In the 2012 season, he has a 4.48 ERA and a strong 2.78 FIP through 66 and 1/3 innings.

He proved to be a key cog in the Cardinals 2011 rotation, pitching 194 and 2/3 innings with a 3.56 ERA and 3.23 FIP.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, visit St. Louis Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos. And for more from around baseball, check out MLB Daily Dish and Baseball Nation.

Cardinals Vs. Cubs Final Score: Anthony Rizzo Homer Dooms St. Louis To Loss

2012-07-29T21:58:24Z

As the season approaches the final two months, each game becomes more magnified for teams in the playoff race. With the St. Louis Cardinals fighting to stay in the race for the NL Central Division, losing a series against the Chicago Cubs is something they simply couldn't afford. However, an Anthony Rizzo homer in the 10th inning sent the Cardinals to a 4-2 loss at Wrigley Field.

The Cardinals wasted a strong start from Adam Wainwright, who allowed only two earned runs in 6.0 innings. Wainwright struck out five batters and really settled down after allowing a run in each of the first two innings. St. Louis rallied from a two-run deficit with runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Carlos Beltran tied the game in the 8th with his 23rd homer of the season. However, the homer from Rizzo off of Trever Rosenthal in the 10th inning allowed the Cubs to win the series.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, visit St. Louis Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos and Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. And for more from around baseball, check out MLB Daily Dish and Baseball Nation.

Cardinals Vs. Cubs Lineups: Daniel Descalso, Matt Carpenter Get Sunday Starts

2012-07-29T16:26:42Z

Injuries have once again altered the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup. With Rafael Furcal ailing and Lance Berkman returning from injury, manager Mike Matheny has turned to his bench to plug the holes in a key game on Sunday vs. the Chicago Cubs. Getting starts are Matt Carpenter at first and Daniel Descalso at shortstop.

Here are the full lineups for both teams:

Cardinals

Daniel Descalso, SS
Allen Craig, RF
Matt Holliday, LF
Carlos Beltran, CF
Yadier Molina, C
David Freese, 3B
Matt Carpenter, 1B
Tyler Greene, 2B
Adam Wainwright, P

Cubs

Cardinals Vs. Cubs Preview: Adam Wainwright Leads Cardinals On Sunday

2012-07-29T15:34:07Z

Baseball's second wild card has taken a bit of urgency out of the playoff chase, but the St. Louis Cardinals may be getting nervous as they sit 6.5 games out of first place in the N.L. Central with the calendar turning toward August. Of course, they're only 2.5 games out of the second wild card spot, but dropping a series to a team as bad as the Chicago Cubs would certainly sting.

Leading the Cardinals on Sunday as they look to avoid that fate is Adam Wainwright, who has found his groove in July, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in four starts. That's good news for St. Louis, but there is some bad news, too. They'll be facing Chicago starter Paul Maholm, who has been stellar at home this season and nearly unhittable in July. This month, Maholm has put up a 1.20 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 30 innings.

Game date/time: Sunday, July 29, 1:20 p.m. CT

Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Ill.

TV: FSN Midwest

Rafael Furcal Injury Update: St. Louis Infielder Battling Back Injury

2012-07-28T22:46:48Z

With the St. Louis Cardinals in the midst of an intense playoff race, any injury could have a significant impact. However, one guy that they can't afford to be without for a significant period of time is Rafael Furcal. According to B.J. Rains of Foxsportsmidwest.com, Furcal is battling a back injury that could sideline him:

@BJRains: Matheny confirmed that Furcal is dealing with back tightness and likely wouldn't play tomorrow. Furcal left without speaking to reporters.

Furcal has been steady all season for the Cardinals, hitting .272 and delivering in clutch situations throughout the season. The 34 year old shortstop has appeared in 96 games and driven in 42 runs for St. Louis. In July he appeared in the third All-Star game of his career and the first since 2010.

Cardinals Vs. Cubs Final Score: St. Louis Falls 3-2

2012-07-28T21:02:06Z

After opening the series against the Chicago Cubs with a victory, the St. Louis bats struggled on Saturday, as it fell 3-2 at Wrigley Field. While the Cardinals have been playing some great baseball, each loss is crucial with the way the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing since the All-Star break.

Despite some control issues, the Cardinals really had no answer for Jeff Samardzija on the mound. Samardzija struck out seven batters and allowed only two earned runs in six innings. The Cardinals received a strong effort from Joe Kelly, who allowed only three earned runs in 6.1 innings pitched. Kelly struck out six hitters and issued only one walk in the loss,

At the plate, Carlos Beltran drove in his 72nd run of the season, while Daniel Descalso also drove in a run in the loss.

Jaime Garcia Update: Pitcher Throws Another BP Session

2012-07-28T18:09:05Z

The return of Jaime Garcia to the St. Louis Cardinals rotation could play a huge role in their push for the playoffs. Garcia, who has been on the DL since June 6th because of a shoulder strain, continues to get closer to his return to the rotation. According to B.J. Rains of FoxSportsMidwest.com, Garcia should be close to making a rehab start:

@BJRains: Garcia will throw another batting practice session in Jupiter, per Matheny. There was some thought that next step might be a rehab start.

In 11 starts this season, Garcia has complied a 3-4 record with a 4.48 ERA. Garcia was outstanding the past two seasons, winning 26 games and establishing himself as a key member of the St. Louis rotation. Despite having won four straight, the Cardinals remain 5.5 games out of first place in the NL Central Division.

Cubs Vs. Cardinals Lineups: St. Louis Loads Up Lefties Against Jeff Samardzija

2012-07-28T16:04:03Z

The St. Louis Cardinals are loading up left-handed hitters for Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs, and it's probably a pretty good idea. Chicago starter Jeff Samardzija has held right-handed hitters to a .244/.296/.325 line for the 2012 season, but lefties have roughed him up to the tune of a much more impressive .256/.333/.489 line.

Here are the lineups for both teams on Saturday:

Cardinals	Cubs
1. Skip Schumaker (L) 2B	1. David DeJesus (L) CF
2. Jon Jay (L) CF	2. Starlin Castro (R) SS
3. Matt Holliday (R) LF	3. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
4. Carlos Beltran (S) RF	4. Alfonso Soriano (R) LF
5. Lance Berkman (S) 1B	5. Bryan LaHair (L) RF
6. Yadier Molina (R) C	6. Geovany Soto (R) C
7. Matt Carpenter (L) 3B	7. Darwin Barney (R) 2B
8. Daniel Descalso (L) SS	8. Luis Valbuena (L) 3B
9. Joe Kelly (R) P	9. Jeff Samardzija (R) P

Take a look here at the game schedule for Saturday:

Date/Time: Saturday, July 28, 12:05 p.m. CT

TV: Fox Sports Midwest, Comcast SportsNet

Online streaming: MLB.tv