Padres vs. Cardinals

A look at the best-of-5 National League Division Series between the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals:

Schedule: Game 1, today, at St. Louis (10:09 a.m., ESPN); Game 2, Thursday, at St. Louis (1:09 p.m., ESPN2); Game 3, Saturday, at San Diego (TBA); x-Game 4, Sunday, at San Diego (TBA); x-Game 5, Monday, at St. Louis (TBA).

x-if necessary.

Season series: San Diego won 4-3.

Projected lineups

Padres: CF Dave Roberts (.275, 8 HRs, 38 RBIs, 23 SBs), LF Ryan Klesko (.248, 18, 58), RF Brian Giles (.301, 15, 83, major league-leading 119 BBs, .423 OBP), C Ramon Hernandez (.290, 12, 58), 1B Mark Sweeney (.294, 8, 40), SS Khalil Greene (.250, 15, 70), 2B Mark Loretta (.280, 3, 38), 3B Joe Randa (.276, 17, 68).

Cardinals: SS David Eckstein (.294, 8, 61, 11 SBs), CF Jim Edmonds (.263, 29, 89), 1B Albert Pujols (.330, 41, 117, 16 SBs), RF Larry Walker (.289, 15, 52 in 100 games), LF Reggie Sanders (.271, 21, 54 in 93 games), 2B Mark Grudzielanek (.294, 8, 59), C Yadier Molina (.252, 8, 49), 3B Abraham Nunez (.285, 5, 44).

Projected rotations

Padres: RH Jake Peavy (13-7, 2.88 ERA, N.L.-high 216 Ks in 203 innings), RH Pedro Astacio (4-2, 3.17 in 10 starts with San Diego), RH Adam Eaton (11-5, 4.27, 100 Ks in 128 2/3 IP).

Cardinals: RH Chris Carpenter (21-5, 2.83), Mark Mulder (16-8, 3.64), Matt Morris (14-11, 4.11), Jason Marquis (13-14, 4.13) or Jeff Suppan (16-10, 3.57).

Relievers

Padres: RH Trevor Hoffman (1-6, 2.97, 43/46 saves, 52 hits and 54 Ks in 57 2/3 IP), RH Scott Linebrink (8-1, 1.83, 55 hits and 70 Ks in 73 2/3 IP), RH Akinori Otsuka (2-8, 3.59), RH Rudy Seanez (7-1, 2.69), RH Clay Hensley (1-1, 1.70).

Cardinals: RH Jason Isringhausen (1-2, 2.14, 39/43 saves), RH Julian Tavarez (2-3, 3.43, 4 saves), LH Ray King (4-4, 3.38), RH Cal Eldred (1-0, 2.19), RH Brad Thompson (4-0, 2.95, 1 save), LH Randy Flores (3-1, 3.46, 1 save).

Matchups

Teams also met in 1996 NLDS, when St. Louis swept three games, and both managers are still on the job. The clubs last squared off for a three-game series July 26-28 in San Diego, when the Cardinals were without third baseman Scott Rolen, Walker, Sanders and Molina. The Padres took two of three. … Giles hit .417 against the Cardinals with two homers and nine RBIs in 24 at-bats. … Pujols hit .385 against the Padres with two homers and six RBIs. Edmonds batted .333 with a homer and seven RBIs, and Walker was 5 for 12 (.417) with two homers and three RBIs. Over the last two seasons, Pujols is 25 for 51 with five homers and 13 RBIs and Edmonds is 15 for 37 with four homers and 13 RBIs. … Morris is 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA against Padres, and Carpenter is 2-1 with 2.89. … San Diego right-hander Woody Williams made four postseason starts for Cardinals last year, including Game 1 of World Series, but wasn’t expected to make rotation for division series. … The Cardinals will be without reliever Al Reyes, who tore a ligament in his right elbow in the regular-season finale and will require reconstructive surgery, forcing him to miss the playoffs.

Associated Press