(Best E Casino) - No team has hit more home runs in the majors this year than the Phillies. However, the St. Louis Cardinals will once again try to give Philadelphia a dose of its own medicine tonight, when the two clubs resume a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

The Phillies are tied with the Marlins for the most homers hit in the majors so far this year, with each team clubbing 153. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have gone deep 119 times as a team this year.

However, the Cardinals drilled three homers on Friday night in a 6-3 victory over the Phillies. Joe Mather smacked a three-run homer as part of a four-run fourth inning, and Ryan Ludwick added two more solo round-trippers. Ludwick finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored, while Yadier Molina provided the Cardinals' other RBI with a sacrifice fly.

Ludwick has a hit in five straight games, posting a .579 (11-for-19) average in that span with six RBI. He also upped his season average to .303.

Kyle Lohse (13-3) was effective enough to earn a win over his former club for the second time this season, going 5 1/3 innings while being tagged with three runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts for St. Louis, which has won four of five and moved within four games of first-place Chicago in the National League Central.

Cole Hamels (9-7) allowed five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits, while Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer in the Phillies' first loss in six games. Philadelphia did remain one game up on New York for first place in the NL East after the Mets lost to Astros on Friday.

Shane Victorino added a hit in five at-bats for the Phils, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. The center fielder is batting .365 (19- for-52) over his run with four homers, nine RBI and 12 runs scored.

Joe Blanton, acquired by Philadelphia from Oakland in July, faces off against the Cardinals for the first time in his career tonight. He has made two starts for the Phils since coming over from the AL and has yet to post a decision. The righty gave up five runs in six innings of his Phils debut on July 22 and pitched only two innings on Sunday versus Atlanta. He yielded two runs on three hits before being forced out of the game due to a rain delay.

Braden Looper starts for St. Louis and he snapped a three-decision skid with a win over the Braves on Monday. The right-hander gave up two runs on seven hits in that one to improve to 10-8 with a 4.38 earned run average on the season.

One of the losses on his recent slide came versus the Phillies on July 10, when he gave up four runs on seven hits -- including two homers by Philadelphia's Ryan Howard -- in six innings. That was Looper's first career start versus the Phils after making 58 relief outings against them.

He has had trouble keeping Howard in the ball park. The Phils first baseman, who leads the NL with 95 RBI to go along with 30 homers, has three hits in four career at-bats versus Looper, all homers.

The Cardinals have won four of seven versus the Phillies this year, with St. Louis winning two of three at home from June 13-15. Philadelphia did win four of six at Busch Stadium last year.

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=== Phils try to bounce back against Cards ===

(Best E Casino) - No team has hit more home runs in the majors this year than

The Phillies are tied with the Marlins for the most homers hit in the majors so far this year, with each team clubbing 153. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have gone deep 119 times as a team this year.

However, the Cardinals drilled three homers on Friday night in a 6-3 victory over the Phillies. Joe Mather smacked a three-run homer as part of a four-run fourth inning, and Ryan Ludwick added two more solo round-trippers. Ludwick finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored, while Yadier Molina provided the Cardinals' other RBI with a sacrifice fly.

Ludwick has a hit in five straight games, posting a .579 (11-for-19) average in that span with six RBI. He also upped his season average to .303.

Kyle Lohse (13-3) was effective enough to earn a win over his former club for the second time this season, going 5 1/3 innings while being tagged with three runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts for St. Louis, which has won four of five and moved within four games of first-place Chicago in the National League Central.

Cole Hamels (9-7) allowed five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits, while Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer in the Phillies' first loss in six games. Philadelphia did remain one game up on New York for first place in the NL East after the Mets lost to Astros on Friday.

Shane Victorino added a hit in five at-bats for the Phils, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. The center fielder is batting .365 (19- for-52) over his run with four homers, nine RBI and 12 runs scored.

Joe Blanton, acquired by Philadelphia from Oakland in July, faces off against the Cardinals for the first time in his career tonight. He has made two starts for the Phils since coming over from the AL and has yet to post a decision. The righty gave up five runs in six innings of his Phils debut on July 22 and pitched only two innings on Sunday versus Atlanta. He yielded two runs on three hits before being forced out of the game due to a rain delay.

Braden Looper starts for St. Louis and he snapped a three-decision skid with a win over the Braves on Monday. The right-hander gave up two runs on seven hits in that one to improve to 10-8 with a 4.38 earned run average on the season.

One of the losses on his recent slide came versus the Phillies on July 10, when he gave up four runs on seven hits -- including two homers by Philadelphia's Ryan Howard -- in six innings. That was Looper's first career start versus the Phils after making 58 relief outings against them.

He has had trouble keeping Howard in the ball park. The Phils first baseman, who leads the NL with 95 RBI to go along with 30 homers, has three hits in four career at-bats versus Looper, all homers.

The Cardinals have won four of seven versus the Phillies this year, with St. Louis winning two of three at home from June 13-15. Philadelphia did win four of six at Busch Stadium last year.