Beltran, Cardinals wrap up set vs. Indians

The slugger will try to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a series victory this
afternoon over the Cleveland Indians in the finale of a three-game interleague
set from Busch Stadium. Beltran is in his first season with the defending
champion Cardinals and has already left a positive first impression. He
clubbed a solo homer in Saturday’s 2-0 victory and finished with a game-high
three hits. Beltran needs just one more stolen base to become the majors’
first-ever 300-300 switch-hitter (homers, steals).

Rafael Furcal was credited with the other RBI for his sacrifice fly in the
eighth inning. Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse improved to 6-1 on the season and
earned his first win since May 9 at Arizona with 7 2/3 shutout innings of
three-hit ball. Marc Rzepczynski got the final out of the eighth inning and
Jason Motte nailed down his 11th save in the ninth.

“He was just really locating everything,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said
of Lohse. “He’s still taking that role that we gave him opening day. He leads
the staff and tries to prove a point. He tries to take charge, and it becomes
contagious.”

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday was scratched from the game with back
spasms. He was expected to bat cleanup for the first time this season and had
appeared in 58 of the club’s 59 games. Holliday is hitting .276 with nine
doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 35 RBI and 38 runs scored, and could be
back in action versus the Tribe.

St. Louis, which is two games behind Cincinnati for the NL Central lead, has
won four of its last six games and is 1-1 on a nine-game homestand that will
continue Tuesday versus the Chicago White Sox. Kansas City will also make a
stop in the Gateway City.

With Jaime Garcia banged up with shoulder and hip issues, the Cardinals will
turn to Joe Kelly for his major league debut on Sunday. Kelly, who turned 24
on Saturday, has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last three
starts for Triple-A Memphis. He posted a 2-5 mark with 2.86 ERA in 12 starts
for the Redbirds.

Kelly hopes to earn a spot in the rotation, which is expected to be without
Garcia until August. A roster spot was made possible for the right-hander
after St. Louis released injured relief pitcher Scott Linebrink on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Indians lost ground in the AL Central with Saturday’s loss
coupled by a White Sox win over Houston, and are 1 1/2 games off the lead.

Cleveland recorded only three hits in the second installment of this series,
as Michael Brantley finished 2-for-4. Brantley extended his hitting streak to
17 games and is 24-for-65 with 15 RBI and 11 runs scored during the stretch.
He had a 19-game hitting streak from Aug. 30-Sept. 19, 2010.

Asdrubal Cabrera had the other hit and Justin Masterson fell on the losing
side of a strong performance. Masterson pitched seven innings and allowed just
one run and five hits, including Beltran’s homer, to drop to 2-6.

“I think today was a really nice day … consistent throughout, everything was
kind of crisp,” Masterson said on the club’s site. “Unfortunately, Kyle
[Lohse] did a little bit better. I do what I can to try and keep it close for
the guys.”

The Indians posted a 6-2 win in Friday’s series opener, but are now 3-2 on a
nine-game road trip following their second loss in three tries. Cleveland will
also visit Cincinnati for three games.

Making his 12th start of the season for the Indians, Ubaldo Jimenez tries to
turn in another good performance this afternoon. Jimenez was rattled for seven
runs and seven hits in just four innings in a 12-6 loss at Chicago on May 27,
but rebounded nicely on Tuesday in a 4-2 triumph over Detroit.

Jimenez held the Tigers to a run and scattered five hits through 6 2/3 innings
to improve to 6-4 in 11 starts with a 5.31 earned run average. He has won
three of his last four starts and is 3-3 in six road outings this season. In
seven career starts against St. Louis, the right-hander and former Colorado
Rockies ace is 2-3 with a 3.64 ERA.

Cleveland and St. Louis are battling for the first time since the Indians won
two of three meetings at home back in 2009. Cleveland has gone 13-6 all-time
against St. Louis, which includes a 7-4 mark as the guest. The Indians are the
only Major League team that St. Louis has never won a series against.