| SEASON | CAREER |
| W16 | 17 |
| L7 | 8 |
| G33 | 51 |
| IP163.2 | 198.0 |
| BB61 | 72 |
| SO162 | 202 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W0 | 1 |
| L5 | 10 |
| G35 | 86 |
| IP44.0 | 82.0 |
| BB17 | 31 |
| SO36 | 63 |
The St. Louis Cardinals' playoff pursuit has been aided by how they have taken advantage of the Houston Astros .
The Cardinals have won eight straight in this series, and Lance Lynn has never lost to the Astros heading into Monday night's opener of the final NL series at Minute Maid Park.
St. Louis (82-71) leads Milwaukee by 2 1/2 games for the second NL wild-card berth. The Cardinals have won six of seven to maintain control of that spot, including a three-game home sweep last week over Houston (50-103).
That sweep shouldn't be surprising since St. Louis is enjoying its longest win streak in this series since taking the final seven 1971 matchups and the first two the next year.
"They've beaten me (all) six times already since I've been here," interim manager Tony DeFrancesco told the Astros' official website. "It's frustrating for me to see that we're one hit away from beating that team. I know they're a wild-card contender."
This will be the final series between these clubs as division rivals, with the Astros joining the AL next season after entering the NL as a 1962 expansion team. This rivalry reached its peak when these clubs played in back-to-back NL championship series in 2004 and 2005.
Those days must seem like a long time ago for Houston fans. The Astros, who need to win seven of their final nine to finish better than last year's franchise-worst 56-106, have taken their last two home series, winning two of three this weekend from Pittsburgh.
Lynn (16-7, 3.79 ERA), however, figures to be a major challenge to start this three-game set. He improved to 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA in three career starts against the Astros with 6 1-3 innings last Wednesday in a 5-0 victory.
The right-hander has won two straight starts after he was demoted from the rotation for a posting a 6.56 ERA in five August outings.
"I got away from what I was all about early on in the season," Lynn said. "I got off track, and tried to start nibbling and throwing breaking pitches.
"Now, I'm going right after hitters and it's making all my stuff better."
The Cardinals were without Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Cubs. Molina was out with lower back spasms while Beltran was out because of what manager Mike Matheny believed to be food poisoning.
Whether or not Molina or Beltran play Monday, the Cardinals have to like their chances of handing Houston starter Fernando Abad (0-5, 5.11) his sixth straight loss. Abad has posted a 6.53 ERA in dropping his five career starts - all since being inserted into the rotation Aug. 25.
The left-hander's lone career start against St. Louis was a career-long, five-inning stint last Tuesday in which he was charged with three runs in a 4-1 defeat.
St. Louis slugger Allen Craig is batting .372 during a 10-game road hitting streak, and he's hitting .395 with three homers and 15 RBIs against Houston in 2012.
Craig had three hits and two RBIs Sunday and shortstop Pete Kozma , filling in for the injured Rafael Furcal , hit his first career homer.
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AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPSERAQSSOBBSVBSBAAWHIPE
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Carlos Beltran | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Lance Berkman | 2 | .500 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 2.500 | 2.000 |
| Daniel Descalso | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Tyler Greene | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .000 |
| Matt Holliday | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 |
| Jon Jay | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Kyle McClellan | 1 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 1.000 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| J.A. Happ | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Chris Johnson | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Carlos Lee | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 |
 St. Louis Cardinals |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 23, 2012 | Yadier Molina | Day-to-Day | Lower back spasms |
| September 09, 2012 | David Freese | Day-to-Day | Swollen left ankle |
| September 09, 2012 | Matt Carpenter | Day-to-Day | Cut hand |
| September 09, 2012 | Jake Westbrook | Day-to-Day | Strained right oblique |
| August 31, 2012 | Rafael Furcal | 15-Day DL | Torn UCL, right elbow - out for season |
| August 30, 2012 | Rafael Furcal | Day-to-Day | Left game - right elbow strain |
 Houston Astros |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 21, 2012 | Edgar Gonzalez | Day-to-Day | Strained right hamstring |
| September 07, 2012 | Jose Altuve | Day-to-Day | Left game - strained left abdominal |
| August 30, 2012 | Marwin Gonzalez | Day-to-Day | Torn ligament, left ankle |
| August 28, 2012 | Bud Norris | Day-to-Day | Left game - blister |
| August 22, 2012 | Justin Maxwell | Day-to-Day | Bruised right index finger |
| August 07, 2012 | Jordan Schafer | 15-Day DL | Left shoulder separation |
HOUSTON (AP) -- When All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal went on the disabled list last month, the St. Louis Cardinals weren't sure how they would fill his spot.
Rookie Pete Kozma is proving to be a more than adequate replacement.
Kozma hit a two-run homer, Lance Lynn pitched seven innings to earn his 17th win and the Cardinals strengthened their grip on a playoff spot with a 6-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night.
Yadier Molina added a solo shot as the Cardinals moved 3 1/2 games in front of Milwaukee and Los Angeles for the second NL wild card. The Brewers lost 12-2 at Washington earlier in the day, and the Dodgers were off.
"I don't think anybody would look past us losing our starting shortstop, an All-Star, leadoff hitter for most of the season, and think that was not going to be impactful on our club," manager Mike Matheny said. "Pete was given the opportunity and he just jumped on it. That's how most careers are started."
Lynn (17-7) struck out nine and allowed one run and five hits. The right-hander is 4-0 with a sparkling 0.89 ERA in his last four outings, including a relief appearance against Milwaukee on Sept. 9.
Three of his hits and both walks came in the first two innings.
"He was in hot water the first two, guys all over the bases, but he worked his way through it and got better as he went," Matheny said. "It's just impressive when he gets his fastball going."
Kozma extended St. Louis' lead to 3-0 with his second major league homer in the second, a day after hitting his first one. Kozma, who is batting .298 in 18 games, said he's been helped by the encouragement of his teammates.
"There's a little extra, all the guys, you hear them cheering all the time, especially here because there's not that many fans here, so you can really hear them," he said.
Molina hit his 21st homer to make it 4-1 in the fourth.
Houston starter Fernando Abad (0-6) pitched 1 2-3 innings before leaving with a strained right oblique. He walked one and allowed a run. He was replaced by Fernando Rodriguez , who was charged with three runs and seven hits in a career-long 4 1-3 innings.
Lynn improved to 4-0 in five career appearances against the Astros, and St. Louis beat Houston for the ninth straight time in front of a crowd of 12,584 - the smallest crowd in the history of the 12-year-old ballpark.
Daniel Descalso got St. Louis off to a fast start with a two-out RBI triple in the second inning. Kozma's homer bounced off the wall above the Crawford Boxes in left field.
Molina looked healthy a day after he was out of the lineup with lower back spasms. The All-Star catcher was injured avoiding a pitch on Saturday. He fell face down to the ground in the seventh inning getting out of the way of an inside pitch, but jumped right back up, before eventually drawing a walk.
Matheny wasn't surprised that Molina missed just one game with his injury.
"He heals quick and he lies really good too when it comes to what it really feels like," Matheny said with a smile. "He's just got a pain tolerance that's pretty impressive."
Scott Moore had an RBI single in the second for Houston. Moore drove in Jason Castro , who reached on a wild pitch after he struck out leading off the inning.
Matt Holliday helped the Cardinals put the game away with a two-run single in the seventh. Holliday, who left Sunday's game in the ninth inning with tightness in his back, went 1 for 5 with three strikeouts.
Jason Motte , who leads the NL with 40 saves, got a break after converting opportunities in each of the Cardinals' previous seven wins to earn NL player of the week honors on Monday.
Center fielder Jon Jay , who doesn't have an error this season, robbed Castro of a hit in the fourth inning with a tricky catch. He leapt to stop it with his glove, but it bounced off. He got his bare hand on it, before bobbling it and falling to his knees to snag it before it hit the ground. He smiled and shook his head as he got to his feet as players in the St. Louis dugout raised their arms and cheered.
"He continues to make catches that make you notice him," Matheny said.
Monday was the second time in the last four games that a Houston starting pitcher lasted 1 2-3 innings before leaving with an injury. Edgar Gonzalez strained his right hamstring and left at the same point in Friday's game.
NOTES: Cardinals 3B David Freese was on the lineup card, but was taken out after rolling his right ankle in pregame warmups in the batting cage. He was replaced by Matt Carpenter . ... Astros 3B Matt Dominguez was scratched because of a stomach virus. He was replaced by Brandon Laird . ... St. Louis 1B Lance Berkman , who had his second knee surgery of the season on Sept. 11, said there was a "slim chance" he could play again this season. "I'm not ruling it out," he said. ... Houston OF J.D. Martinez will have surgery to repair an injured hamate bone in his left wrist on Wednesday. ... These teams continue the series on Tuesday when St. Louis left-hander Jaime Garcia opposes rookie Lucas Harrell .
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St. Louis Cardinals
