Chris Carpenter Would Start Game 4

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said on Saturday afternoon that Chris Carpenter will start Game 4 for the Cardinals, if they win Game 3 today, which would be the first start of Carpenter's career on three days' rest.

La Russa said that he didn't announce the decision on Friday because he wanted to wait to see how Carpenter felt playing catch. Carpenter reported he was OK, so La Russa decided to the ball to his ace in the must-win game.

La Russa said that the Cardinals would not have made this decision if there was not an off day on Monday, because then he'd not only have to use Carpenter on three days rest for Game 4, but Adam Wainwright on three days rest for Game 5. With the off day, Wainwright would be fully rested for a possible Game 5.

Even though the extra off day, which was added to the first round in 2007, makes this decision less risky than it was before, it is not quite a no-brainer because of Carpenter's health history. Carpenter has had a long history of injuries throughout his career. He missed almost the entire 2007 and 2008 seasons. So the Cardinals will be asking a pitcher who is somewhat fragile to do something he's never at the end of a long season.

"If it's fair to say that we're always careful with our pitching and careful with Chris, then we'll be extra careful," La Russa said. "Just go as long and hard as you can. If that's five innings, six innings, fine. Whatever he's got, it helps us compete in that game."

Carpenter said he expected to be kept on a shorter leash than normal. Starters Kyle Lohse and John Smoltz are both available out of the bullpen in this series. Either might be fresh on Sunday if they are needed on Saturday.

"I'm not sure how much they're going to let me go, but I'm going to go as hard as I can," Carpenter told reporters on the field during batting practice. "We've got plenty of depth behind me."

Also, the recent history indicates that pitchers haven't fared well going on three days rest. Since the first year of expanded playoffs, pitchers who have started on three days rest are a combined 19-30 with a 4.71 ERA. This, remember, is a group that includes mostly top-of-the-rotation starters, or they wouldn't be forced back on three days rest, so these numbers indicate a fairly significant dropoff in their performance.

Still, it's hard to blame La Russa for this decision because of the off day. If held back Carpenter, they'd have Carpenter and Wainwright both fully rested on the same day, which doesn't do them much good.

Now the Cardinals just have to win on Saturday to get there.