Starters flex arms

ST. LOUIS -- Entering the season, the St. Louis Cardinals' weakness appeared to be an unsung rotation.

Instead, a modest starting five has nearly kept pace with more celebrated staffs in Chicago and Houston, throwing up more than its share of zeros. In the team's just-completed six-game homestand the starters combined for a 1.96 ERA and four victories, pitching seven or more innings in five of the games.

"I'm a very optimistic, very positive guy," manager Tony La Russa said. "I think they've pitched like we expected them to pitch, which is good and getting better."

The members of the rotation totaled only 42 victories last year. Woody Williams won a career-best 18 games last year and innings-eater Jeff Suppan won a career-best 13. But former 20-game winner Matt Morris slumped to 11, Jason Marquis spent half of the season in the Braves' minor league system and Chris Carpenter missed the entire year with a second shoulder operation that also kept him out of most of the 2002 season.

It's not quite a bargain basement five, considering Morris and Williams combined make about $20 million. But the other three were obtained with the budget in mind.

Together, they've piled up 23 quality starts of six or more innings, second best in the major leagues to the Cubs' 25. It's helped the Cardinals, widely picked to finish third in the NL Central, stay within striking distance in the early going.

The World Series champion Florida Marlins managed only six runs in a three-game weekend series, losing two of three.

"It's a pretty good rotation, and with their offense they'll score some runs and give the staff some breathing room," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "I like them."

The surprise is the pitchers have been impressive without much contribution from Williams, 1-4 with a 4.69 ERA after getting very light work in spring training. Suffering from shoulder tendinitis, Williams totaled five spring innings.

Williams battled for seven innings and 124 pitches in a 3-2 loss on Sunday, giving up nine hits but only one earned run. His previous start, a dominant eight-inning effort against the Braves during which he gave up one run on four hits, was his best of the season, though.

"It's nice to have back to back starts where I'm somewhat in control," Williams said. "But I've got to start winning ballgames and start eliminating innings when they score more than one run."

The most impressive pitchers thus far have been Marquis, who fell out of favor in Atlanta and came to St. Louis in the J.D. Drew trade, and the rebuilt Carpenter.

Marquis (2-3, 3.44) could easily have four or five victories, given his staff-low ERA and electric stuff. Carpenter (4-1, 3.86) struggled his first few times out, perhaps rusty from his layoff, but has allowed two runs in 15 1-3 innings in winning his last two starts.

Suppan (3-4, 4.29) has been as advertised, averaging six innings per outing despite an off-game his last time out. Suppan's 3 1-3-inning start, during which he threw 84 pitches, was the only one of the homestand that taxed the bullpen at all.

"Even Sinatra cleared his throat," La Russa said.

Suppan shook it off, too.

"Tomorrow is a new day and I'll go on from here," he said.

That leaves erstwhile ace Matt Morris (4-3, 3.63), who's been more of an artist than a fireballer at least in the early season. Morris has been off and on, but two of his last three starts have been nine shutout innings against the Cubs and eight innings of six-hit, two-run ball against the Braves.

"He pretty much held us in check," Atlanta's Mark DeRosa said. "If he's got his curveball working, he's tough to hit."

Morris' velocity has dropped off to the extent the radar gun display was turned off for one of his recent starts, although the Cardinals insisted it was an electrical malfunction. Last week the display was back, and it didn't help the Braves cope with his variety pack.

"My fastball, that down and away heater, I missed with a lot," said Morris, who faces the Mets in New York today. "But I was able to come back with a changeup or slow them down or keep them off-balance rather than just counting on pinpoint control.

"I'll take this over being sharp."