(Best E Casino) - Right-hander Bronson Arroyo can establish a new personal- best for single-season wins tonight when the Cincinnati Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Arroyo was a 14-game winner for the Boston Red Sox in 2005, then reached 14 again with the Reds after the trade that brought him to Cincinnati in exchange for Wily Mo Pena.

The 31-year-old slumped to just nine wins in 34 starts last season, but rebounded to reach No. 14 in start No. 30 this season with a 10-2 defeat of the Chicago Cubs on September 5.

He missed in try No. 1 for the record-setter, getting a no-decision in the Reds' 4-3 loss to Milwaukee after allowing five hits and two unearned runs in seven innings.

Arroyo, who lost a 5-3 nod to the Cardinals on August 15, is 4-6 lifetime against them with a 4.29 earned run average.

For St. Louis, reliever-turned-starter Braden Looper tries to snap a three- start skid tonight.

Looper was 12-10 after a 6-3 win against Atlanta on August 24, but has since gone 0-2 in three outings while surrendering 23 hits and nine earned runs in 16 2/3 innings.

He was exclusively a reliever through his initial 573 major-league appearances before turning into a starter and winning 12 games in 30 starts in 2007.

He's made 34 career appearances against the Reds - four starts - and is 4-1 with a complete game and eight saves, posting a 2.93 earned run average in 58 1/3 innings.

On Sunday in Pittsburgh, Nate McLouth went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and finished with two runs driven in and three scored, as the Pirates completed their first three-game sweep of the Cardinals since 2006 with a 7-2 victory.

Skip Schumaker and Aaron Miles both drove in a run for the Cardinals, who have let five straight games slip away. Brad Thompson (5-3) took the loss after surrendering six runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings of work.

In Phoenix, Corey Patterson hit the game-winning homer in the 10th inning, as the Reds won in extras for the second straight day over the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-1, at Chase Field.

The Reds had only three hits in the game but made them count, as Jay Bruce drove in the other run with a homer for Cincinnati, which has won five of seven.

Johnny Cueto gave up one run on four hits and six walks in five innings while striking out four. The bullpen pitched five innings of shutout ball, as David Weathers (4-6) got the win for the second consecutive game after pitching a perfect ninth. Francisco Cordero earned his 31st save of the season.

St. Louis has won six of nine matchups with the Reds this season.