The St. Louis Cardinals have opened up a three and a half game lead on the struggling Cincinnati Reds as they open a three-game series with baseball’s biggest surprise, the Florida Marlins.
The youthful Marlins, under first-year manager Joe Girardi, are just two games back in the Wild Card race and have a legitimate chance to finish the season with a winning record. The come into St. Louis with an eight-game win streak and have cut six games off the Reds’ Wild Card lead in just over a week.
Mark Mulder, who looked pitiful last week against the New York Mets, will have his second chance on the mound after his lengthy absence with arm trouble.