Cardinals Vs. Tigers Final Score: St. Louis Falls In Extra Innings

The St. Louis Cardinals lost the rubber match of their three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon when Quintin Berry singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Tigers to a 2-1 win at Comerica Park. The win moves Detroit to 34-35, while the Cards fall to 35-35.

The game was tremendously pitched by St. Louis' Kyle Lohse and Detroit starter Jacob Turner, with help from each bullpen. Lohse allowed four hits and one earned run over seven innings while striking out four. The loss was credited to St. Louis reliever Victor Marte, who allowed the single to Berry.

Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder got the scoring started with a solo homer in the fourth, his 11th of the season. St. Louis answered in the top of the fifth when Matt Holliday drove-in Rafael Furcal on a sacrifice fly.

Turner allowed four hits and one earned run over five innings. Joaquin Benoit was credited with the win, improving his record to 1-1.

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.

Cardinals Injury Report: Matt Carpenter, Jon Jay May Return Very Soon

The St. Louis Cardinals have been decimated by injuries from all angles since starting the season 20-11, but they may get some of their outfield depth back very soon. Utility player Skip Schumaker recently rejoined the team after a stint on the disabled list, and now Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says outfielders Matt Carpenter (strained oblique) and Jon Jay (sprained shoulder) could return to the MLB roster very soon. Manager Mike Matheny specifically noted that there is no official timetable for Jay's return, but added that the CF is "getting close." The organization is also currently giving Carpenter extended work at Double-A.

Jay posted a .343/.395/.438 line over 117 plate appearances before getting injured, while Carpenter put together a .288/.356/.519 triple-slash line over his first 118 plate appearances in 2012.

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.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Preview: Kyle Lohse Meets Jacob Turner In Rubber Match

The St. Louis Cardinals moved above .500 on Wednesday night by defeating the Detroit Tigers 3-1 behind a complete game from starter Jake Westbrook. On Thursday, St. Louis' veteran right Kyle Lohse will try to follow in Westbrook's footsteps as the Tigers and Cardinals meet in the rubber match of the three-game series.

Lohse is 6-2 with 2.98 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He allowed only three runs on 10 hits over seven innings in his last start on May 14 against the Kansas City Royals, but was credited with his second loss of the season.

Turner is just 21 years old, and ready to make his fourth start. The Saint Charles, MO native enters at 0-1 with a 8.53 ERA and 1.66 WHIP.

Game Date & Time: Thursday, June 21, 12:05 p.m. CT

TV: Fox Sports Midwest

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.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Final Score: Jake Westbrook's Complete Game Lifts St. Louis Over .500

After back-to-back losses that dropped the team to .500 on the season, the St. Louis Cardinals needed a big effort from Jake Westbrook on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers. Westbrook was able to deliver. The Cardinals earned a 3-1 victory at Comerica Park behind a complete game from Westbrook in which the veteran right-hander allowed only five hits and one run while striking out five on the evening. The victory moves the Cards to 35-34, while Detroit falls to 33-35.

The Cardinals finished with 12 hits in the victory. St. Louis didn't score glamously, but it was enough to get the job done.

Second baseman Daniel Descalso got the Cards on the board in the fifth inning when he scored David Freese on a sac fly. Yadier Molina drove-in the second run when he grounded into a double-play to bring home Matt Holliday. Molina also drove-in the team's third run in the eighth when Carlos Beltran scored on an error by Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

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.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Lineups: Carlos Beltran To DH On Wednesday

After having Matt Holliday cover the designated hitter spot on Tuesday, the St. Louis Cardinals have Carlos Beltran taking a day off from playing the field as they face the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. Without any obvious option to DH during the interleague series, the Cardinals have rotated their veteran hitters through the role.

Here's the Cardinals' full lineup for Wednesday:

Lineup vs Tigers: Furcal SS, Schumaker CF, Holliday LF, Beltran DH, Craig RF, Molina C, Freese 3B, Adams 1B, Descalso 2B, Westbrook P

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 20, 2012

And the Tigers' lineup:

Tonight's lineup: Jackson 8, Berry 7, Cabrera 5, Fielder 3, Young dh, Boesch 9, Peralta 6, Santiago 4, Laird 2. Porcello is starting

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 20, 2012

So far, the Cardinals are 4-6 during their extended stretch against AL Central opponents. After finishing the series against Detroit, the Cardinals play three against the Royals before heading to Miami to face the Marlins.

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.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Preview: Jake Westbrook Takes The Mound In Detroit

The St. Louis Cardinals will try to get back over .500 on Wednesday when Jake Westbrook gets the start against the Detroit Tigers and their 23-year right-hander Rick Porcello. The Cards fell in the series opener on Tuesday and have dropped back-to-back games to fall to 34-34 overall. The Tigers enter the middle game of the series at 33-34.

Westbrook, St. Louis' 34-year old righty, is 5-6 with a 4.27 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. He defeated the Chicago White Sox in his last start by allowing just five hits and three earned runs over six innings.

Porcello has been uneven this season, entering at 4-4 with 5.18 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. His last start was a victory over the Chicago Cubs in which he allowed nine hits and four earned runs over five innings.

Game Date & Time: Wednesday, June 20, 6:05 p.m. CT

TV: Fox Sports Midwest/ESPN2

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. For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Final Score: Detroit Earns 6-3 Win As Justin Verlander Bests Lance Lynn

The Detroit Tigers never trailed during a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park on Tuesday night. The highly-anticipated pitching matchup between Detroit's Justin Verlander and Lance Lynn never really panned out, as Lynn was chased after allowing five earned runs in five innings. Verlander, the AL's reigning Cy Young winner, was solid throughout, holding Cardinals hitters to five hits and three runs (one earned) over seven innings.

Detroit scored one in the first and three in the second to get out to an early lead. The Tigers would lead 5-0 before the Cards started to mount a doomed rally.

Second baseman Daniel Descalso finished 2-for-3 with two runs for St. Louis. Matt Holiday was credited with the Cards' lone RBI. Four Detroit hitters finished with multiple hits. Star third baseman Miguel Cabrera finished 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI. DH Delmon Young went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

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. For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Score Update: Detroit Holds 4-0 Lead In The 5th

The Detroit Tigers got to Cardinals starter Lance Lynn early in Tuesday's game and lead the Cardinals 4-0 in the fifth inning.

Related: Justin Verlander's Start Shows Fickleness Of Pitcher Wins

The Tigers have picked up seven hits against Lynn to this point and got on the board in the first inning with an RBI single from Delmon Young. They scored three more in the second inning; two on a double by Austin Jackson and one on a groundout by Quentin Berry.

Detroit ace Justin Verlander has allowed just one hit through the first four innings and has thrown 46 pitches, unofficially.

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. For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score.

St. Louis Cardinals DH Matt Holliday As American League Stint Begins

The St. Louis Cardinals make their first trip to the American League of 2012 Tuesday night, and now that we have their lineup for Game 1 vs. the Detroit Tigers, we know the answer to the ultimate interleague question: Who do you DH? For Tuesday night, at least, the Cardinals have settled on Matt Holliday as their designated hitter. Holliday left Sunday's extra-innings marathon with a hip flexor issue, and seems somewhere between healthy and day-to-day based on manager Mike Matheny's defensive-replacement routine over the last few games.

The Cardinals have a number of injured and injury-prone sluggers currently on the active roster, and all of them are likely to get DH time as a means of resting their shaky legs; in addition to Holliday, Carlos Beltran, dealing with knee soreness, and Allen Craig, recovering from a hamstring strain, are likely to see at-bats there.

That means the primary beneficiary of the extra at-bats won't be spending time at DH—it's Matt Adams, who'll get regular time at first base while all this is going on. Stuck in a bench role since Craig returned, Adams is hitting .257/.304/.419 with two home runs and 13 RBI since being called up a month ago.

Justin Verlander's Start Shows Fickleness Of Pitcher Wins

Justin Verlander went 24-5 last year, winning the American League MVP as well as the pitcher's Triple Crown—wins, ERA, and strikeouts—by a significant margin. It was one of the best pitching seasons in years, and great as Jose Bautista was I can't find fault with the voters' decision. This year, going into tonight's matchup against 10-1 Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals, he's gone 6-4. He's pitching almost exactly as well. He won't win the MVP.

Seriously, find the difference in his performance: In 2011 he averaged 7.3 innings per start, in 2012 7.26. In 2011 he struck out 25.8% of the batters he faced, in 2012 he struck out 25.9% of the batters he faced. He's allowed far fewer home runs per inning this year than last.

He's just not winning as much. If you believe that's his fault, feel free to continue paying attention to pitcher wins as a measure of pitcher quality. And please tell me what he could have done differently. As for me, I'll go back to being terrified about his pitching against the Cardinals.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Lineups: Skip Schumaker Back In Lineup After Coming Off DL

The St. Louis Cardinals are in Detroit for a three-game interleague set against the Tigers, and the first game on Tuesday is probably the best one of the night in MLB baseball. Justin Verlander and Lance Lynn meet up in a clash of ace pitchers at 6:05 CT, so here is a look at the lineups that will go against each of them. Skip Schumaker has rejoined the team after being activated from the 15-day disabled list and he will play center field and bat eighth.

Game Date & Time: Tuesday, June 19, 6:05 p.m. CT

TV: Fox Sports Midwest

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. For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score.

2012 MLB All-Star Game Voting: Rafael Furcal Takes SS Lead, Yadier Molina Still Chasing Buster Posey

St. Louis shortstop Rafael Furcal has been chasing Colorado Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki in 2012 MLB All-Star Game voting for most of the season, but he finally moved into lead for the starting spot for the National League team on Tuesday. Tulowitzki hasn't played since May 30 due to injury, so Furcal has been able to make up ground and take a 94,000 vote lead by continuing to add to his resume and remain top-of-mind with fan voters.

As for other Cardinals players, catcher Yadier Molina is currently in second-place behind San Francisco Giants C Buster Posey by roughly 54,000 votes, while Carlos Beltran is firmly entrenched as the No. 2 outfielder for the NL behind Los Angeles Dodgers OF Matt Kemp. Here is a quick summary of the latest voting numbers, via MLB.com.

The 2012 rosters will be unveiled on the 2012 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, which will air on TBS July 1. The eight position player starters will be determined by the fan vote in the NL, while pitchers and reserves will be determined according to Player Ballot choices and selections made by the two All-Star managers (Ron Washington and Tony La Russa), in conjunction with MLB.

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. For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score.

Skip Schumaker Injury Update: Cardinals LF Returns From Disabled List On Tuesday

St. Louis Cardinals utility player Skip Schumaker returned from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday to join the team in Detroit for a three-game series against the Tigers. Schumaker suffered a right hamstring strain back in May, but he completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, where he went 3-8 at the plate and played in the outfield as well as at second base.

Schumaker, a 32-year-old veteran, has produced a .321/.378/.432 triple-slash batting line over 90 plate appearances in 2012. All three marks are well above his career averages.

To make room, the Cardinals optioned relief pitcher Maikel Cleto to Triple-A Memphis.

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. For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers: Justin Verlander Becoming Harder To Hit Over Time

On Tuesday night, Justin Verlander and Lance Lynn will square off in a marquee pitching matching when the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals begin their three-game interleague series. Lynn has been quite a surprise so far this season, and he actually boasts a better ERA than Verlander (2.42 ERA vs. 2.66 ERA) and better team outcomes in his starts (10-2 record vs. 6-4). However, Verlander is the one with the longer track record and better peripheral advanced stats. He is on-pace for another 200-strikeout season and hitter are having a tough time making good contact against him. His .265 BABIP is much lower than the conventional MLB average of .300 for pitchers, but there may be a good reason for that trend.

Several weeks ago, Glenn DuPaul of Beyond the Box Score took a deep look at Verlander's amazing stretch of limiting hitter's batting average on balls in play (BABIP), a trend usually associated with luck more than skill. The story is long and quite involved, but the trends are interesting:

Verlander	BABIP	BB/9	LD%	FB%	IFFB%	HR/FB	ERA	xFIP	SIERA
Pre-Stable	.298	3.04	20.4	40.0	10.5	8.1	3.95	4.06	3.99
Post	.256	2.28	18.9	41.1	12.3	7.2	2.69	3.29	3.17

Verlander has improved his ability to suppress home runs, as well as, issue fewer free passes; which has lead to a drop in FIP, but isn't really relevant to his BABIP. Tom Tango showed that high walks and HR-rates usually lead to a lower BABIP, not the other way around. While there isn't evidence that combination of high K's, low BB's and low HR's leads to a high BABIP, there also isn't evidence to prove that it leads to a lower than average BABIP.

...

Verlander	BABIP	O-Swing%	O-Contact %
Pre-Stable	0.298	25.2%	62.7%
Post	0.256	33.0%	69.0%

Batters have been swinging a good deal more of Verlander's pitches outside of the zone than they were earlier in his career, but have been making more contact on those pitches. Despite the increase in contact Verlander has been able to maintain his strikeout rate.

The good news is that the Cardinals are only hoping to hit well against him for one night.

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.

Cardinals Vs. Tigers Preview: Lance Lynn Faces Justin Verlander

The St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers begin a three-game series on Tuesday.