(My Sportsbook) - The St. Louis Cardinals will resume their seven-game road trip tonight with the first of four straight games against the Washington Nationals in the nation's capital.

St. Louis won two out of three games against the Atlanta Braves and recorded a 5-3 victory in Wednesday's series finale. Starter Adam Wainwright improved to 3-0 this season and gave up three-runs --two earned -- on seven hits, while striking out two batters and walking five. Ryan Franklin earned his seventh save of the season after retiring the final four batters.

Slugger Albert Pujols had two hits an RBI and a run scored to help the Cardinals to their seventh win in nine tries. Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan and Rick Ankiel each added an RBI in a winning cause. In injury news for St. Louis, Brendan Ryan had a double and run scored before leaving with a left hamstring injury in the fifth inning.

Cardinals young right-hander Mitchell Boggs gets the nod Thursday and is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in two games (one start) this season. Boggs made his 2009 debut on April 17 at Chicago and gave up one run in two relief innings of his team's 8-7 loss.

Boggs then started against the same Cubs club on April 25, earning the win with 5 2/3 solid innings of work. He gave up one unearned run and six hits in an 8-2 victory over the division rivals. Boggs will now make his first appearance against Washington.

The Nationals are fresh off last night's 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series. They ended a two-game slide and completed a six-game road trip with a 2-4 mark, as Anderson Hernandez led the way with three hits and a pair of RBI in a winning effort.

Ryan Zimmerman achieved a career-high with a hit in 18 straight games, ending with a double, walk, run scored and RBI for the Nats, who got two hits, an RBI and a run scored out of Elijah Dukes.

Scott Olsen lasted 5 2/3 innings to collect the win, yielding just six hits and one run to pick up his first victory this season. Julian Tavarez came on in the ninth for his first save of 2009.

The Nats will open a six-game homestand tonight with the Cardinals and Astros, who will visit Nationals Park for a quick two-game set.

Washington will hand the ball to Daniel Cabrera tonight and he has struggled to an 0-2 mark and 4.42 earned run average in four starts this season. Cabrera lost his most recent outing on April 25 against the New York Mets on the road, allowing five runs -- one earned -- over 2 1/3 innings of an 8-2 setback.

Cabrera, who has a pair of no-decisions sandwiched between losses, will make his first appearance against St. Louis. Washington has lost every game the righty has pitched this season.

St. Louis won five of six meetings with Washington last season.