Cardinals Go for 6
St. Louis, MO – April couldn’t have gone much better for Joel Pineiro, but he hadn’t been as fortunate in May – until his last start.
Now, the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting rotation can seemingly do no wrong.
Pineiro looks to continue St. Louis’ run of dominant starting pitching and lead the Cardinals to their season-high sixth straight victory Sunday afternoon as they conclude their three-game home set against the slumping Kansas City Royals.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook Sportsbook.com have made the Cardinals -125 moneyline favorites for Sunday’s game against the Royals. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 59% of more than 206 bets for this game have been placed on the Cardinals -125.
Pineiro (5-3, 3.48 ERA) takes the mound for the first time since a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, when he threw a complete-game three-hitter. It was the right-hander’s fourth career shutout and first since July 26, 2003, when he tossed a three-hitter for Seattle.
"It was a masterpiece against a club that’s been as hot as anybody,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
Suddenly, the Cardinals are as hot as anybody. Since Pineiro helped St. Louis (26-17) snap its three-game slide, Cardinals starters are 5-0 with a 0.25 ERA, allowing just one run in 36 2-3 innings. In Saturday’s 5-0 victory, Kyle Lohse struck out six and limited Kansas City to four hits in eight innings.
"We’ll just try to keep it going," Lohse said of the franchise’s best pitching streak since it allowed two total runs in the final five games of the 1973 season. "You don’t want to be the guy that messes up this string of starts we’ve got."
Pineiro had been 0-3 with a 4.74 ERA in three previous May starts after opening the season 4-0 with a 3.76 ERA.
"I went through my same routine, I did everything the same,” said Pineiro, who is 4-2 with a 3.59 ERA in seven career starts against the Royals. "What can I say? I threw the sinker I’ve been throwing all year and got good results.”
Filling in for injured Ryan Ludwick (strained right hamstring), Nick Stavinoha had a two-RBI double in the first inning Saturday. He also singled home two runs in the first inning of Friday’s 5-0 win.
Kansas City (21-22), which has been shut out in consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 12-13 to the Chicago White Sox, is hitting .164 (10 for 61) in this series.
"When things go bad, they go bad in a hurry and usually in all areas," said Royals manager Trey Hillman, whose team has dropped seven straight on the road and is below .500 for the first time since it was 2-3.
Kansas City’s Brian Bannister (3-1, 2.75) looks to rebound from his worst outing of the season. The right-hander allowed season highs of five earned runs and nine hits in six innings against Cleveland on Tuesday – a contest the Royals won 6-5 after a four-run rally in the ninth.
Kansas City has won five of Bannister’s six starts since he was called up from Triple-A Omaha on April 21.
He is 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA in three career starts against St. Louis.
Kansas City’s David DeJesus extended his hitting streak to eight with Saturday’s 1-for-4 effort. He is batting .344 (100 for 291) lifetime in interleague play, and .412 (7 for 17) in his career against Pineiro.
Posted: 5/23/09 8:50PM ET
