JUPITER, Fla. — When he first sketched out his lineup for today’s game, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa believed Baltimore was starting a righthander. Hence, Colby Rasmus in the two-spot and a lefthanded-hitting Rick Ankiel in the cleanup spot.

Instead, the Orioles are starting a former NBA player. Thus, Joe Mather gets to swing.

Baltimore lefty Mark Hendrickson will start this afternoon’s game — which now features the Cardinals down 1-0 with two out in the first inning … uh, make that 2-0 — and that inspired La Russa to reorder his lineup. The cleanup hitter is different. Out is Rasmus. In in Mather. The latter getting a chance to end an 0-for-19 skid that has partially reopened the battle at third base. Mather was in the cage this morning working solo. He put a batting tee on a stool and raisd up the tee so that he could work on driving through the high pitch — high as in just about at the 6-foot-4 fielder’s shoulders.

The lineup now, as the Cardinals commit two errors and allow two runs in the top of the first:

1. Skip Schumaker, 2B
2. Joe Mather, LF
3. Albert Pujols, 1B
4. Ryan Ludwick, RF
5. Khalil Greene, SS
6. Rick Ankiel, CF
7. Yadier Molina, C
8. David Freese, 3B
9. Todd Wellemeyer, RHP

-30-