| SEASON | CAREER |
| W13 | 14 |
| L5 | 6 |
| G22 | 40 |
| IP133.0 | 167.0 |
| BB48 | 59 |
| SO133 | 173 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W6 | 18 |
| L7 | 11 |
| G19 | 49 |
| IP112.2 | 257.0 |
| BB40 | 90 |
| SO93 | 224 |
The St. Louis Cardinals could use another productive stretch at the plate to help them climb into position for a playoff berth.
After breaking out of a slump, the Cardinals will try to keep their momentum going in Sunday's series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies .
St. Louis (62-52) helped its chances of returning to the postseason by batting .306 and outscoring opponents 105-53 while winning 13 of 17. The Cardinals, though, couldn't keep that run going after Monday's 8-2 victory over San Francisco and batted .180 with a combined six runs scored while dropping three of their next four games.
They kept those struggles brief, however, registering 10 hits in a 4-1 win over the Phillies on Saturday. Matt Holliday led the way with a three-run homer and Carlos Beltran finished off the scoring with an eighth-inning single, giving him 17 RBIs in 22 games.
"(Holliday and Beltran) have been carrying the load," said manager Mike Matheny , whose team is 2-4 against Philadelphia heading into the season's final matchup.
The victory moved the Cardinals within 1 1/2 games of the NL wild-card leaders, and they'll try to get closer with help from Lance Lynn (13-5, 3.52 ERA).
The right-hander is attempting to rebound from his first loss since June 30. He gave up three runs in the first inning Tuesday en route to a 4-2 defeat to San Francisco, also his first in six starts.
Lynn has allowed 18 first-inning runs and 53 overall.
"I'm just not getting the guy out when I need to right now," Lynn said. "I've just got to keep working and trying to get better. They're starting to learn what I do. I've just got to keep trying to keep getting better and keep improving."In his first start against the Phillies (51-62), Lynn will pitch opposite Vance Worley (6-7, 3.83), who is coming off his shortest outing of the season.
While dealing with a stomach ailment, Worley gave up four runs, six hits and three walks over 3 2-3 innings during a 6-1 loss to Atlanta on Monday.
"It seemed like every time I went out there and I tried to let loose today, it didn't go where I wanted it. Neither did my stomach. I went out there with heart today," he told the team's website.
The right-hander did not get a decision in his only start against St. Louis on Sept. 16 despite giving up only one run over six innings.
Beltran is the only current Cardinals player with more than one hit against Worley, going 2 for 9 with one double and three walks versus the right-hander.
Nate Schierholtz is the only Phillies hitter to have faced Lynn and has gone 0 for 2.
AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPS
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Carlos Beltran | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .417 | .750 | .333 |
| Lance Berkman | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Allen Craig | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| David Freese | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 1.167 | .500 |
| Rafael Furcal | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .000 |
| Jaime Garcia | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jon Jay | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Yadier Molina | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Skip Schumaker | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .000 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Hunter Pence | 3 | .667 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .667 | 1.334 | .667 |
 St. Louis Cardinals |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 08, 2012 | Allen Craig | Day-to-Day | Sore ribs |
| August 03, 2012 | Lance Berkman | 15-Day DL | Right knee inflammation |
| July 28, 2012 | Rafael Furcal | Day-to-Day | Stiff back |
| July 26, 2012 | David Freese | Day-to-Day | Left game - right calf cramp |
| July 24, 2012 | Lance Berkman | Day-to-Day | Left game - HBP right knee |
| July 17, 2012 | Matt Holliday | Day-to-Day | Left game - Left thigh |
 Philadelphia Phillies |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 03, 2012 | Carlos Ruiz | 15-Day DL | Plantar fasciitis, left foot |
| July 23, 2012 | Placido Polanco | 15-Day DL | Lower back inflammation |
| July 09, 2012 | Raul Valdes | 15-Day DL | Strained right hip |
| July 09, 2012 | Raul Valdes | 15-Day DL | Strained right hip |
| June 25, 2012 | Brian Schneider | 15-Day DL | Sprained right ankle - out 3-5 weeks |
| June 25, 2012 | Brian Schneider | 15-Day DL | Sprained right ankle - out 3-5 weeks |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Juan Pierre took an Olympic-sized dose of inspiration watching Usain Bolt sprint to gold.
He took off on a 90-foot dash to his own finish line at first base.
No medals, just a needed victory for the Phillies.
Pierre beat out a run-scoring infield single in the 11th inning, lifting Phillies to an 8-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
"Once I hit it, I was like, `Get to the bag,"' Pierre said.
Pierre hit a ball deep into the hole that shortstop Rafael Furcal made a great stab at and fired to first. Pierre, who enjoyed watching Bolt compete, just beat the throw to score Jimmy Rollins and help the Phillies win two of three against the Cardinals.
"I played with Furcal so I knew what kind of arm he had," Pierre said. "Guys are saying he slipped a little bit and couldn't get that much on the throw. He still got a lot on it, but not enough, and it happened to work out.
Rollins reached against Barret Browning (0-2) on a fielder's choice. He advanced to second base on a grounder and then stole third.
Without that stolen base, the game was going to the 12th.
Without Erik Kratz , the Phillies were going home losers.
Kratz delivered again in the clutch for the Phillies with a three-run homer off Mitchell Boggs in the eighth that tied the game 7-all. He continued his role as unlikely star for the Phillies and delivered one of his biggest hits yet.
Chase Utley and Howard walked against Marc Rzepczynski to lead off the eighth.
Kratz then connected for the tying homer, his fifth, to left that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
The 32-year-old Kratz was a minor league journeyman pressed into the big leagues when reserve catcher Brian Schneider was injured. Kratz has become a fan favorite because of his instant production (9 of first 13 hits for extra bases) and feel-good story.
"You want to be the guy that gets called up," Kratz said. "You're not going to sit there and just stay complacent. You're going to give everything you have and want to get your uniform dirty to win the game. You want to be asked to be put in that spot."
So close to victory, the Cardinals head home with a tough loss to deal with as they try and make ground in their playoff push.
"Pierre showed his speed. I thought he would be out," Browning said. "All losses are tough, but this one hurts a little more."
Ryan Howard also homered for the Phillies. Matt Carpenter had three RBIs for the Cardinals.
Jeremy Horst (2-0) tossed two scoreless innings for his first major league victory in a game that lasted 3 hours, 53 minutes.
Kratz's tying shot was the breakthrough the Phillies needed against a tough Cardinals bullpen.
Jon Jay hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and Carpenter followed with an RBI single to make it 7-4.
Cardinals relievers had held the Phillies scoreless until the eighth after they scored four runs against starter Lance Lynn .
Howard, who missed 84 games after rupturing his left Achilles tendon while making the final out of the NL division series last October, had little to worry about on his home run trot. His solo shot to left-center, his seventh, tied the game at 4 in the fourth inning. The game appeared headed toward a back-and-forth high scoring game - and returned to that flavor over the final three innings.
Lynn entered leading the National League with a 6.77 run support average and his 23rd start of the season was trending that way.
The Phillies roughed up Lynn with a three-run first. Utley's two-RBI triple made it 2-1 and Howard followed with a shot off second baseman Daniel Descalso 's glove for a run-scoring single.
Lynn, a 13-game winner, allowed four runs in five innings and is winless in his last three starts.
"We've had series like this all season and they are tough losses," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.
The Cardinals did what they could to put Lynn in position for win No. 14. Carlos Beltran doubled to right for his NL-best 83rd RBI in the third to cut it to 3-2.
The Cardinals scored the tying run in the fourth on a throwing error by Kratz and went up 4-3 on Carpenter's RBI single to center.
Carpenter wasted little time putting the Cardinals up 1-0 in the first when he ripped one into the right-center gap for an RBI double.
Vance Worley has just one win in his last five starts and had another rough outing Sunday. He allowed nine hits and four runs in 5 1-3 innings - one start after he was chased by Atlanta in the fourth inning. He's battled bone chips that caused a stint on the DL and a string of mediocre starts.
NOTES: The Phillies finished 5-4 on their homestand. ... The Cardinals head to St. Louis to open a nine-game game homestand. ... The Phillies are 5-9 in extra innings; the Cardinals 3-8.
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St. Louis Cardinals