Embarking through their first season without Albert Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals have been quite alright so far early in the 2012 season. On Wednesday, the Cards are looking for their fourth straight victory, and ninth win in 12 games, as they host the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cardinals are coming off an impressive 2-1 victory over the Reds on Tuesday that saw Matt Carpenter once again come up huge. The long-time minor league infielder has been spelling Lance Berkman at first base early in the season, hitting .409 with a team-leading 11 RBI in just nine games. On Tuesday, Carpenter hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the tenth inning to give St. Louis the win.
Jaime Garcia is going for St. Louis against Cincinnati's Mat Latos, who was acquired before the season from San Diego to top the Reds' rotation. Latos has had mixed results this season, so you have to wonder if he'll have some trouble against the Cardinals' impressive offense.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more coverage, check out SB Nation's Cardinals and Reds blogs, Viva El Birdos and Red Reporter. News and notes from around Major League Baseball can be found on Baseball Nation.