Cardinals  11    Astros  2

St. Louis Cardinals (88-63) at Houston Astros (70-80), 8:05 p.m.

Sports Network | September 22, 2009

(Sports Network) - The National League Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals are on the verge of clinching their first division title since 2006 and will resume a three-game set tonight versus the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

St. Louis trimmed its magic number to three with Monday's 7-3 victory over the Astros in the series opener. Mark DeRosa went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four runs scored, while Matt Holliday, Brendan Ryan and Julio Lugo each drove in a run for the Cardinals, who are 10 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the division standings.

Kyle Lohse recorded the win for the Cardinals and held Houston to three runs in six innings of work. He struck out four batters.

"I think he pitched really well," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. "I thought his fastball had good life, he located it. He got a couple first-pitch hits -- you got to get strike one, but he threw a lot of good offspeed pitches. He could have pitched another inning; he was ready to go."

Joel Pineiro will try to be the third St. Louis starter (Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright) with at least 15 wins when he takes the mound Tuesday. Pineiro has lost consecutive starts and is winless over his past three outings since a personal five-game winning streak. He last toed the rubber in a 5-2 loss to Florida on Wednesday, as he allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The righty has enjoyed success against the Astros this season, going 2-0 with a 2.45 earned run average in two starts. Pineiro is 3-3 in six career matchups with Houston.

The debut of Astros interim manager Dave Clark didn't go as planned in last night's loss. Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez was roughed up for six runs and nine hits in five innings of work to fall to 13-11 this season.

Clark, previously the team's third-base coach, was named Houston's interim manager earlier Monday after Cecil Cooper was fired. Cooper accumulated a 171-170 record with the team since taking over in August 2007.

"I was expecting to win the game," Clark said, when asked if his debut matched his expectations. "But as far as me overall, it was a pretty happy day."

Miguel Tejada and Lance Berkman both homered and Humberto Quintero recorded two hits and an RBI for the Astros, who have lost eight in a row.

Yorman Bazardo gets the call for the Astros on Tuesday and is 0-1 with an 8.50 earned run average in seven games (3 starts) this season. Bazardo did not record a decision his last time out in a 6-5 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday, as he surrendered four runs in five innings.

The young righty has never faced St. Louis in his brief career.

St. Louis has won eight of 13 matchups with Houston this season, but was swept in three games at Minute Maid Park from July 20-22.