Braden Looper will try to help the Cardinals turn their recent pitching woes around on Monday when they open a critical four-game road set with the Atlanta Braves.

St. Louis (58-49) has one of the best records in the NL, but is third in the Central Division. The Cardinals are four games back of the first-place Chicago Cubs and three behind the Milwaukee Brewers, and those two teams will meet in a four-game series at Miller Park this week.

Manager Tony La Russa's team has lost six of seven as it prepares to face the Braves (49-55) for the first time in 2008. St. Louis began last week by scoring a combined nine runs as it was swept in four games by Milwaukee, then gave up 24 runs over three games in losing twice to the New York Mets.

"The reality is, it was a tough week," general manager John Mozeliak told the Cardinals' official Web site. "I think we're still in (the race), but we're going to have to have a lot of things go right if we want to finish strong."

Kyle Lohse, who was 12-2 heading into Sunday, gave up seven runs on 11 hits over five innings and the Cardinals lost the series finale with the Mets 9-1.

St. Louis' rotation hasn't done much since the All-Star break. The Cardinals' starters are 2-3 with a 6.60 ERA in their last 11 games. They had a 4.13 ERA before the break.

Looper (9-8, 4.49 ERA) is 0-3 with a 5.55 ERA in his last five starts. He was a hard-luck loser in his latest outing, when he allowed a run over five innings against the Brewers on Wednesday in a 3-0 loss.

Looper was battered in his lone start at Turner Field. He gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 2 2-3 innings in a 14-6 Cardinals' loss on July 21, 2007.

St. Louis will hope to have center fielder Rick Ankiel back in time to face the Braves. Ankiel was held out of Sunday's game due to an abdominal strain.

Ankiel has hit safely in all nine games he's played since the All-Star break, going 15-for-41 (.366) with two homers and nine RBIs.

Atlanta has had trade rumors swirling around the club - particularly first baseman Mark Teixeira - over the last few weeks. Teixeira is a free agent after this season, and it's unclear if general manager Frank Wren plans on trading him or attempting to make a run at the postseason.

The latter seems unlikely, given that the Braves are in fourth in the NL East. Atlanta fell 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Mets on Sunday with a 12-10 loss in rainy Philadelphia, the second day in a row manager Bobby Cox's club had blown at least a five-run lead.

"We lose a five-run lead today, a six-run lead yesterday," Cox said. "With leads like that, you think you ought to be able to win."

The Braves have been without Chipper Jones, who has a strained left hamstring, since Wednesday. Jones, baseball's leading hitter at .369, says he's likely headed to the DL. Atlanta can only hope the situation isn't the same for catcher Brian McCann, who left Sunday's loss with a mild concussion after a collision in the sixth inning. He'll be re-evaluated Monday.

Due to a nearly two-hour rain delay on Sunday, Jo-Jo Reyes - who was scheduled to start Monday - was pressed into duty, pitching 2 2-3 innings while giving up five runs. That means Charlie Morton (2-3, 6.00), who had been sent to Triple-A Saturday to make room for Mike Hampton, will be the likely starter, though Cox won't say for sure until Monday.

Morton gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings in a 4-0 loss at Florida on Tuesday.