Cardinals still have chance for 6-3 homestand

It's all about winning series for the Cardinals. For any team, really, that's the case. But under manager Tony La Russa, this point of emphasis never is lost on the players.

The Cardinals were drubbed 9-3 on Saturday by the Cubs, a rare blowout loss for arguably the biggest success story of the first month. Kyle Lohse didn't have it, Ted Lilly did and the Cubs squared the series at one game apiece.

But there's one more opportunity on this season-long nine-game homestand for the Cardinals. A victory over former Redbird Jason Marquis in the nationally televised finale at 7:05 p.m. Sunday would give St. Louis a 6-3 stand against three teams in their division — Houston, Cincinnati and Chicago. Todd Wellemeyer, a former Cub, gets the ball for the Cardinals.

The big picture still looks promising for the Cardinals. They occupy first place in the NL Central with a 19-12 record, 1/2 game ahead of the Cubs. Last year, they didn't collect their 19th win until May 24. Win No. 20 didn't arrive until May 26. So if the Cardinals win today, they will be 22 days ahead of last year. Remarkable, really, considering little was expected of them when they broke camp in Jupiter, Fla.