(From The My Sportsbook - All Times Eastern)

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 17, 7:05 p.m. - Jeff Suppan (3-3) at Cory Lidle (2-3)

May 18, 7:05 p.m. - Chris Carpenter (5-2) vs. Jon Lieber (5-2)

May 19, 1:05 p.m. - Jason Marquis (5-2) vs. Brett Myers (3-2)

2005 SEASON SERIES: Philadelphia leads, 2-1

ST. LOUIS (24-13)

The Cardinals try to keep rolling in this series. They have won two straight and are 6-2 in their last eight games overall. St. Louis currently leads the NL Central by six games over second-place Milwaukee.

Jeff Suppan takes the ball for the Cardinals in the opener, as he shoots for his first winning streak of the season. Last Wednesday he got the decision in a 9-3 victory over the visiting Dodgers, allowing three runs on nine hits in seven innings. The 30-year-old righthander struck out seven and walked none.

Suppan faced Philly on April 9, and was on the wrong side of a 10-4 contest at Busch Stadium. He was touched for six runs (5 earned) on 10 hits in four innings of work. Lifetime against the Phillies, he is 3-2 with a 6.23 ERA in six outings.

On Sunday, John Mabry homered and drove in three runs to lead the Cardinals past the New York Mets, 4-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Shea Stadium. Reggie Sanders also homered for St. Louis. Matt Morris (3-0) earned the win, as he allowed two runs on six hits over 7 2/3 innings. He also struck out six, while walking two. Jason Isringhausen worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save in as many days and his ninth of the season.

PHILADELPHIA (17-22)

In the opener the Phillies will counter with Cory Lidle, who hopes to bounce back after suffering his third loss of the season last Wednesday in Milwaukee. He took the loss in a 5-2 contest, surrendering five runs on six hits in 7 2/3 innings. Lidle struck out a season-high 11 and walked only two. Lifetime against the Cardinals, Lidle is 3-3 with a 5.45 ERA in 10 appearances (six starts).

The Phils also won on Sunday, as Vicente Padilla earned his first win of the year and Bobby Abreu drove in two runs to lead Philadelphia over Cincinnati, 4-3, in the finale of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park. Padilla (1-4) tossed six shutout innings, allowing four hits and six walks while striking out three. Billy Wagner notched his ninth save after a shaky ninth inning. Chase Utley added his seventh homer of the season for the Phillies, who recovered after Saturday's 12-4 loss to take two of three from Cincinnati.

Abreu has slammed seven home runs in eight games, and is hitting .451 with nine homers and 21 RBI in the month of May. Abreu's slugging percentage is 1.059 this month.

Endy Chavez, who was acquired from Washington for Marlon Byrd over the weekend, went 1-for-5 with a triple and run in his Phillies debut.