Cubs Starter:                              Cardinals Starter: 
Sean Marshall #45                    Todd Wellemeyer #37
ERA: 4.87                                    ERA: 3.86
W-L: 0-2                                       W-L: 7-3
K's: 17                                          K's: 70
BB's: 9                                         BB's: 30
Throws: Left                                Throws: Right

Chicago Cubs
W-52
L-36
GB-0.0
Last 10 Games: 3-7

Saint Louis Cardinals
W-50
L-39
GB-2.5
Last 10 Games: 5-5

Keys to a Cardinal Victory!

Marshall is making his third start of the year and is not yet proven that he can stay in the majors. 
--The Cardinals need to get to him early
--Raise his pitch count and make him walk batters

Wellemeyer struggled his last outing and needs to get back on top of his game.
--See if Albert can hit career homerun number 301
-- Ludwick needs to pick it up
--Bullpen has to try and stay consistent and not allow the Cubs to take a lead

According to national baseball writer Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News the Cardinals along with the LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Kansas City Royals have all expressed interest in outfielder Matt Holliday. Supposedly Holliday, 28, was placed on the Rockies trading block along with lefty reliever Brian Fuentes a little over a month ago. Last season Holliday helped his Rockies make it all the way to the World Series where there they evidently lost in a 4 game sweep to the Boston Red Sox. Along the way he had a .336 batting average, .421 on base-percentage, homered 36 times, and knocked in 136 rbi's. Holliday was also the runner up in the National League MVP voting behind Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies. Holliday is also a two-time NL All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner. So far, Holliday has 13 homeruns, 49 rbi's, and is hitting .342 in 71 games.

Left handed reliever Brian Fuentes, 32, a three-time NL All-star (2005, 2006, 2007) is also apparently on the Cards radar. Fuentes at the moment is having a season he would like to put behind him however. Fuentes is 1-4, with a 3.71 era, 13 saves, and 32 K's. Other teams interested in Fuentes are the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rockies (37-51) are currently in fourth place in the NL West just two games ahead of the San Diedo Padres and even more surprising only 6 games out of first place. Fourteen games under .500 and only 6 games out is astonishing and at this point it seems that any team is worthy of being crowned NL West champions by the end of this season.

Although both of these players would be sure be valuable additions to the Cardinals clubhouse we fans need to be prepared for what may just be a fluke and fall through. Not saying Holliday nor Fuentes will or will not don the 'Birds on the Bat' I am just thinking rationally. Holliday would be very costly to attain for the years to come (9.5 million/2008 season, and 13.5 million/2009 season on current Rockies contract), and not to mention that Holliday's agent is Scott Boras who is against long-term contracts until his clients are done with their current contract. Also, this trade would most likely include talented prospect Colby Rasmus, and Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes. It looks like all we fans can do is wait until the trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month or until we get more news.