One of the hallmarks of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise is their ability to plug holes with unsung homegrown and keep chugging along. There's maybe been no better example than the 2012 season of Lance Lynn, who entered the starting rotation as Chris Carpenter's replacement and has pitched his way to a 4-0 record and 1.33 ERA in four starts this season.
Lynn has been brutal on hitters this year, allowing only 16 hits in 27 innings and striking out 24 in a season that may begin to resemble the breakout 2011 of the Texas Rangers' Alexi Ogando. Lynn will have to deal with effects of being a full-time starting pitcher at some point down the line, but in the meantime he's healthy and energized enough to have been one of the most lethal starters in baseball.
He'll take the mound on Tuesday night looking for his second win of the season vs. the Pirates. Lynn faced them in PIttsburgh on April 20, scattering four hits over seven innings while allowing only a single earned run. He also struck out four batters and walked one. Opposing him will be A.J. Burnett, who has been excellent in two starts this season for Pittsburgh. One of those— his first— came against St. Louis on April 21, and it saw Burnett throw seven scoreless innings.
Game date/time: Wednesday, May 2, 7:15 p.m. CT
Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Mo.
TV: FSN Midwest
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, visit Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos. News and notes from around Major League Baseball can be found on Baseball Nation.