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ST. Brian Orakpo Jersey . LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter is set to make his 2012 debut just in time for the St. Louis Cardinals, who could use an ace up their sleeve to boost their pursuit of the second NL wild card. Carpenter was 4-0 in the post-season last fall but hasnt pitched since winning Game 7 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers. He returns less than two months after undergoing surgery to relieve a nerve ailment that caused numbness up and down the right side of his body. "I worked my butt off to try to get back," Carpenter said. "And it worked out." The 37-year-old Carpenter, who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2005, will make his first start of the season Friday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The former 20-game winner points out hes no stranger to late-season pressure, so he doesnt mind the idea of parachuting into the intensity of a stretch run. Health permitting, he could get three key starts before the regular season ends. "Ive pitched in games that matter," Carpenter said. "So Im going out there with the same focus, the same program. Hopefully, I can help give us maybe a little push, and we can get on a little run." St. Louis has been solid on the mound but displays a mostly spotty offence. The team features five hitters with 20 or more homers -- a franchise first -- but the Cardinals will score eight or nine runs one day and then seem lifeless for days. Its a frustrating scenario for rookie manager Mike Matheny, who said he doesnt have to remind his team its time to get going. "Theres nothing that even needs to be said. Its plain as the nose on your face, what weve got left ahead of us and what we have to do," Matheny said. "Its not like theres a secret, theres a formula. "Weve got to push. Weve got to play our best now." The Cardinals are hoping Carpenter can bolster an already-strong rotation. Kyle Lohse (15-3, 2.71 ERA) is one of the National Leagues best starters, Lance Lynn (16-7, 3.79) appears to be back on track, Adam Wainwright (13-13, 3.97) has had a solid first year back from elbow reconstruction and Jake Westbrook (13-11, 3.97) has had dominant stretches. Plans going forward will depend on how Carpenter holds up against the Cubs. There will always be room for him, though. He is 95-42 since 2004, a .693 winning percentage thats the best in the majors during that stretch. "Obviously, Carps one of our leaders and an outstanding pitcher," slugger Matt Holliday said. "If hes 80-90 per cent of what he usually is, well be in good shape." Heading into surgery in late July, Carpenter had been hopeful of returning next season to fulfil the final year of a two-year contract. Not long after the procedure in Dallas, the right-hander began aiming for a more immediate comeback. "As we got going and saw that my arm strength was coming back, everything was coming back and I felt good, and there was no risk of hurting anything up there, we said Why not try it? See if we can get back here in time. "Fortunately it worked out." Carpenter threw 95 pitches in a second simulated game, and hopes to be able to pitch deep into his debut. Equally important, he recovered nicely. "I know its a simulated but its still 95 throws and I felt good, felt strong, felt strong at the end and I recovered well," Carpenter said. Carpenter began travelling with the team a few trips back, helping him regain his footing as a leader in the clubhouse. "I still speak my mind and say what needs to be said," Carpenter said. "Its hard to voice your opinion and say things when youre not around them all the time. Ive been around these guys the last month or so all the time." The Cubs appear to be a favourable opponent for Carpenters debut. Hes 11-6 with a 3.05 ERA in 25 career starts against them, and his win total is tied for first with three others for the most against Chicago since 2004. Carpenter has also been dominant against the NL Central, going 51-23 with a 2.98 ERA. Robert Griffin III Redskins Jersey . The Lakers announced the results of their point guards MRI exam Saturday, throwing yet another complication into their dismaying start to the season. Robert Griffin III Elite Jersey . -- Hes one of the CFLs most dangerous players, capable of turning a game with a big return on special teams or clutch reception. http://www.shopwashingtonredskinsgear.com/womens-kirk-cousins-nike-jersey/ . Thomas, 27, made 49 EPL appearances in three seasons with Wigan. Thomas played in the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Cup for Honduras, and has been capped 38 times on the international level. Robert Griffin III Official Jersey . -- Caroline Wozniacki remains undefeated at the New Haven Open after the four-time defending champion beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-3 in the first round Monday, her 18th consecutive victory at the tournament. London Fletcher Camo Jersey . -- Clint Dempsey is precisely the kind of scrappy player that Jurgen Klinsmann covets on his teams, an attacker who is willing to throw his body around for the greater good.ST. LOUIS -- The Kansas City Royals used a lucky carom off a post near the visitors dugout to stop Tyler Greenes scamper around the bases, and extend their winning streak to four games. Third baseman Mike Moustakas picked up the deflected ball and cut down Greene at the plate to end the game, capping a wild ninth inning and preserving Kansas Citys 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. "On that play, it doesnt really matter where you make that throw," Moustakas said. "Youve just got to get it and get rid of it and give your catcher a chance to tag him out." Humberto Quintero, who had entered as a pinch hitter an inning earlier, appeared on replays to have blocked Greenes foot long enough for his chest-high tag to count on a bang-bang call by plate umpire Alan Porter. "Its a tough call, the calls been made," Greene said. "Just from my perspective, I knew it was close but I thought Id kind of gotten a foot in there." Royals manager Ned Yost joked his team had been "practicing that play." "Thats a play we work on all spring," Yost said. "We executed it flawlessly." Greene slid into every base on his ill-fated tour. He reached on a two-out infield hit for his third single of the game, stole second while banging shortstop Alcides Escobars glove and scooted for third when the ball got away. He popped up after an off-line throw by Getz, noticed Moustakas moving away from the bag before getting to third and heard third base coach Jose Oquendo yelling "Go, Go, Go!" "Thats a long run there," Greene said. "I was going with everything I had into home and what happened, happened. I thought it was the right gamble." Carlos Beltran, who became the first switch hitter in major league history with 300 home runs and 300 steals, and St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse both thought Greene was safe. Both also felt it was a good case for baseball to expand its use of instant replay. "Its a tough call for the umpire right there and thats why Im a believer replay has to be more involved with plays like that," Beltran said. "The big thing about this game is being able to make the right call and as players were just asking for that." The crazy finish came after Yadier Molina eased up on what he believed was an infield hit to start the St. Louis ninth. The catcher belatedly sped up after Escobars diving stop, and the shortstop made a strong throw to first as Molina banged his helmet with his hands. Vin Mazzaro worked six scoreless innings and Jeff Francoeur had two RBIs for Kansas City, which matched its longest winning streak of the season. Jarrod Dyson added two hits, a walk and an RBI. Jonathan Broxton worked the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances and No. 100 for his career. The Royals also won four straight from May 12-15 at the Chicago White Sox and Texas. Beltran had two hiits and is batting . Charles Mann Jersey. 467 (14 for 30) during an eight-game hitting streak. He reached the 300-300 milestone against his first major league team, but was caught stealing by Mazzaros pickoff throw during the next at-bat. The Royals trail the Interstate 70 rivalry 38-29, but are 14-14 in St. Louis. Lohse (6-2) scattered 10 hits in seven innings, giving up three runs. He has worked at least five innings in all but two of his 20 career starts against the Royals. Mazzaro (3-1) blanked the opposition through six innings for the second time in three starts, needing just 80 pitches while keeping the Cardinals off balance. Matt Holliday was an easy out all three times after entering the game 4 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs against the 25-year-old right-hander. Mazzaro was briefly visited by a trainer in his last inning and was pulled with right calf tightness. But he did enough to earn his first interleague victory in seven decisions. He gave up four runs, three earned, in three-plus innings in a loss at Pittsburgh in his previous start. "Vinny pitched great," Yost said. "We wanted to send him back out because our pen, three or four guys were unavailable tonight, but when it started to tighten up we couldnt take any chances." Escobar doubled with two outs in the second and scored on Dysons infield hit, and Alex Gordon doubled leading off the third and scored on Francoeurs single. Francoeur added a sacrifice fly in the seventh as the Royals built a 3-0 lead. Matt Adams had an RBI double and pinch-hitter Shane Robinson delivered a run-scoring single as the Cardinals jumped on Roman Colon in the bottom half to pull within one. Colon, recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday to bolster an overworked bullpen, made his first major league appearance since 2010 when he made the opening-day roster and appeared in just five games. NOTES: Yost said he would platoon Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler, the regular DH, at 1B in interleague games at NL parks. ... Cardinals SS and leadoff man Rafael Furcal, mired in a 1-for-24 slump, did not start but was at the plate as a pinch hitter when the game ended. "I dont think its necessarily anything mechanical, its just physically hes beat," manager Mike Matheny said. ... Cardinals second-round pick Carson Kelly, a high school 3B from Beaverton, Ore., signed and betrayed no sense of awe in an impressive round of batting practice, with Matheny and batting coach Mark McGwire watching from beyond the cage. Matheny joked that the usual over-under on draftees is no balls hit out of the cage the first time around. "Most kids want to come up here and just start launching," Matheny said, "and they walk out with their head hanging low." ... Gordon has scored in eight straight games after entering the game the only player in the majors with a pair of seven-game streaks with a run scored, according to STATS LLC. ' ' '