HOUSTON — Piggybacking on the article Rick Hummel wrote in this morning’s paper about the Cardinals search for production in left field, a lot of the discussion with manager Tony La Russa this afternoon revolved around the same subject. He’s starting Houston-area native Nick Stavinoha in left field today and batting him second partially because the LSU alum can take aim “at those Crawford Boxes,” La Russa said.

Rick Ankiel, relieved by the results of his MRI taken last week, will start in center. He has altered his workouts somewhat to push the issue with the shoulder that has had difficult gaining strength since his crash into the wall. Ankiel said he was comforted by the second MRI that revealed the nerve was not trapped or suffocated near the spine and that now it’s time to “get after it” again on strengthening the area.

It’s known that Ankiel is limited physically. Chris Duncan is less obvious.

Duncan says there is nothing bothering him more than the normal wear/tear of a season and that there has been days when fatigue has set in. He’s more concerned about his swing, but the fact that he had neck surgery to replace a bulging disc cannot be ignored.

“Both are not 100 percent,” La Russa said. “Both are just struggling to get something going.”

Other nuggets not from out of left field during pre-game today at Minute Maid Park:

– Pudge Rodriguez has changed his number to 77 for the Astros.

– Adam Wainwright will be given the option of flying with the team late Wednesday night or jetting to Washington D.C. that afternoon to get a full night’s rest in before his start there Thursday.

– With the current roster, Joe Thurston is the backup shortstop.

– Todd Wellemeyer does not have to earn his spot in the rotation start-to-start, and that is because the Cardinals feel they don’t have a replacement for him at the ready as much as it is they believe he’ll get his consistency going in the second half.

– Mark DeRosa has joined the mustache brigade.

– Houston’s Lance Berkman, out of the starting lineup the last few days because of a stained calf, is starting at first and batting third for the Astros tonight. His reasoning? Big series and everybody plays hurt sometime. He still feels the strain when he plays but he didn’t want to miss this series or what he told reporters was an important stretch of games. The Astros lineup tonight:

1. Bourn, CF
2. Tejada, SS
3. Berkman, 1B
4. Carlos Lee, LF
5. Blum, 3B
6. Pence, RF
7. I. Rodriguez, C
8. Matsui, 2B
9. Moehler, P

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