The St. Louis Cardinals have had terrific success against the Pittsburgh Pirates so far this season -- going 4-1 and outscoring the Pirates 31-14 in the aggregate -- and on Thursday afternoon they get the chance to sweep the three-game set with Jake Westbrook on the mound. The Cardinals' offense has been great in 2012, and ranks No. 2 in runs scored (135), No. 1 in batting average (.290), No. 1 in on-base percentage (.358) and No. 2 in slugging percentage (.462). Meanwhile, the Pirates are dead last in runs scored (68), 25th in batting average (.229), 29th in on-base percentage (.283) and 27th in slugging (.341).
Westrbook is off to a great start this year (3-1, 1.30 ERA) and has yet to give up more than two runs in any start, so the Cardinals have plenty of things working in their favor as they look to earn a sweep. Here some basic information to help you find the contest on Thursday afternoon:
Starters: Jake Westbrook (3-1, 1.30 ERA) vs. Erik Bedard (1-4, 2.48 ERA)
Game Date & Time: Thursday, May 3, 12:45 p.m. CT
Location: Busch Stadium
TV: Fox Sports Midwest
Radio: AM 1120 KMOX (click here for full list of affiliates)
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, check out SB Nation's Cardinals and Pirates blogs, Viva El Birdos and Bucs Dugout. News and notes from around Major League Baseball can be found on Baseball Nation.