St. Louis Cardinals utility man Allen Craig is back in the cleanup spot for Saturday's game vs. the Cincinnati Reds after going 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in last night's 8-5 victory.
Craig is only a utility man by definition, and certainly not by reputation; while most utility players are all-glove, no-bat types, he is hitting .318/.379/.582 with 19 home runs and 68 RBI in just 83 games. 2012 marks the second consecutive season in which Craig has provided excellent production as a part-time player.
Here are the full lineups:
Cardinals:
1. Jon Jay CF
2. Matt Carpenter 3B
3. Matt Holliday LF
4. Allen Craig 1B
5. Carlos Beltran RF
6. Skip Schumaker 2B
7. Tony Cruz C
8. Rafael Furcal SS
9. Jaime Garcia P
Reds:
1. Zack Cozart SS
2. Drew Stubbs CF
3. Brandon Phillips 2B
4. Ryan Ludwick LF
5. Todd Frazier 1B
6. Jay Bruce RF
7. Scott Rolen 3B
8. Dioner Navarro C
9. Mike Leake P
Jaime Garcia (3-4, 4.00 ERA) will be on the bump for the Cardinals, opposite Mike Leake (5-8, 4.59) and the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT.
For more on the Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Additional coverage on the Reds can be found at Red Reporter, while Baseball Nation is the place for all things MLB.