(My Sportsbook) - Joel Pineiro tries to stay perfect on the season when he toes the rubber for the St. Louis Cardinals tonight in the middle test of a three-game series versus the New York Mets at Busch Stadium.

Pineiro opened the season on April 10 versus Houston and earned the win with 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball. He then took the hill again on April 15 at Arizona, recording the win despite surrendering five runs and nine hits over five innings of work. He received more than enough run support in that one, as the Cardinals posted a 12-7 triumph.

The right-hander is unbeaten against the Mets, as evidenced by a 1-0 mark and 4.76 ERA in three career starts.

St. Louis opened a six-game homestand with Tuesday's 6-4 victory over the Mets, as Rick Ankiel posted three hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to lead the way. Yadier Molina also had three hits while Albert Pujols knocked in a pair of runs for St. Louis, which had lost two of three to the Cubs in a rain-shortened series over the weekend.

Jason Motte recorded the final two outs in the eighth to pick up the win and Ryan Franklin set down New York in order in the ninth for his third save of the season. Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer did not factor in the decision and allowed four runs on 10 hits in five innings.

The Cardinals will host the Central rival Cubs for three games after this series with the Mets.

New York has lost two in a row for the third time this season and experienced another rough outing with Oliver Perez on the hill. Perez was reached for four runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings, but it was new set-up man J.J. Putz who suffered the loss for the Mets. Putz gave up two costly runs and three hits in the eighth.

Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran each ended with two hits and an RBI for the Mets, while Daniel Murphy also drove in a run.

Toeing the rubber for the Mets tonight will be John Maine, who is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in two trips to the mound this season. Maine is coming off a rough outing Thursday against San Diego, as he yielded six runs and seven hits over five innings of a 6-5 loss.

The right-hander, who did not record a decision in a 5-4 loss to Florida in his season debut on April 10, is 1-1 with a 5.63 earned run average in three career starts against St. Louis.

New York won four of seven meetings with St. Louis a year ago.