Former St. Louis Cardinals prospect Brett Wallace and recent tormenter Bud Norris are among the players the Cardinals will face when they reach Minute Maid Park for the first of three games against their one-time division rivals the Houston Astros. Wallace, currently hitting a healthy .324/.400/.451, is the team's starting first baseman; Norris, who will get Jaime Garcia in the opener, has struck out 26 batters in 22 innings across his first two starts. With Albert Pujols's hamstring injury leaving his near-term status in doubt, the Cardinals will rely on former Astro Lance Berkman to hold down the first base fort in his absence.
At 8-14 the Astros have struggled as predicted, but no Cardinals fan is ready just yet to write off Bud Norris. On Wednesday Kyle Lohse will face J.A. Happ, while in the concluding Thursday action Kyle McClellan and Nelson Figueroa are the teams' scheduled starters.
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