(Best E Casino) - Recent Cincinnati ace Aaron Harang faces the
St. Louis Cardinals for the third time this season tonight when the Reds host them for the second test of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.
A 16-game winner in each of the last two seasons, Harang has slumped to 16 losses in 2008, including defeats against the Cardinals in starts on April 30 and August 16.
In those two starts, in which the Reds were outscored, 14-5, Harang allowed 14 hits and 11 runs over just 9 1/3 innings of mound work. Lifetime against St. Louis, he is 5-8 in 16 starts with a 5.07 earned run average.
Harang is 0-3 in four starts since his last win, which came on August 22 at Colorado.
For the Cardinals, journeyman right-hander Todd Wellemeyer looks to continue a personal breakout season.
A fourth-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2000, Wellemeyer reached the big leagues and made 15 relief appearances with Chicago in 2003.
He was exclusively a reliever with the Cubs, Royals and Marlins though 2007, before making 11 starts in 20 appearances with the Cardinals in 2007.
Wellemeyer went 3-2 in that spot duty last season and has made 29 starts as a full- timer this year, racking up win No. 12 with a 5-3 defeat of Florida in September 6.
He is 1-2 in 16 games - two starts - against the Reds in his career, allowing 14 earned runs in 27 1/3 innings.
On Tuesday, Corey Patterson had two hits and two runs driven in to propel the Reds to a 7-2 victory.
Edwin Encarnacion drove in three runs on a bases-loaded double while seven different players scored a run for the Reds, winners of three straight.
Bronson Arroyo (15-10) continued to pitch well, throwing seven innings of two- run ball on five hits while striking out four for the win.
Braden Looper (12-13) gave up four runs on six hits and a walk, with five strikeouts, to suffer the loss.
Troy Glaus and Aaron Miles each finished with two hits, including a home run for the Cardinals, who have dropped six in a row.
St. Louis has won six of 10 matchups with the Reds this season.
