(My Sportsbook) - Oliver Perez will try to string together back-to-back decent starts when he leads the New York Mets tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

Perez was rocked in his 2009 debut on April 9 against Cincinnati, allowing eight runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings for the loss. He rebounded last Wednesday versus San Diego by hurling six innings of one-run ball for his first win of the season.

The lefty, who is 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA on the season, hasn't fared too well against St. Louis in his career, having gone 2-5 with a 4.65 earned run average.

The Mets went just 3-3 on a six-game homestand versus San Diego and Milwaukee, and had their chances for a sweep of the Brewers erased after Sunday's 4-2 loss at brand-new Citi Field. Mets starter Nelson Figueroa (0-1) got the nod for Mike Pelfrey, who has been diagnosed with right forearm tendinitis, and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in six frames to absorb the loss.

Jose Reyes and Daniel Murphy each had three hits in a losing effort.

St. Louis was slated to wrap up a four-game series with the rival Chicago Cubs Sunday at Wrigley Field, but the finale was postponed because of rain. The game will be made up as part of a July 12th day-night doubleheader.

The Cardinals won the opener with the Cubs before losing the next two games, including Saturday's 7-5 setback in 11 innings. Aramis Ramirez clubbed a two- run homer in the bottom of the 11th to lift the Cubs and made a loser of relief pitcher Dennys Reyes (0-1).

Ryan Ludwick had two RBI and Khalil Greene belted a solo home run for the Cardinals, who have dropped three of their last five games. Yadier Molina and Skip Schumaker also knocked in a run in defeat. Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse did not factor in the decision, yielding four runs and five hits in five innings.

Taking the ball for the Cardinals Tuesday will be Todd Wellemeyer. Wellemeyer was roughed up in his first start on April 8 against Pittsburgh, as he gave up five runs and 12 hits in five innings. He then posted his first win of 2009 on April 14 against Arizona, tossing seven solid innings of one-run ball to improve to 1-1 with a 4.50 earned run average on the year.

In five career games (2 starts) against the Mets, the right-hander is just 0-1 with a 6.89 ERA.

New York won four of seven meetings with St. Louis a year ago and is 3-1 in the previous four matchups in the series.