LOS ANGELES — General manager John Mozeliak on Thursday stopped short of making any promises about the make-up of next season's coaching staff regardless of manager Tony La Russa's return.

Mozeliak said only that any decision regarding La Russa's staff would be made soon after the team's postseason run concludes.

"I would expect that Tony and I will speak further about what our plans are going forward," Mozeliak said. "Typically those things are addressed after the season ends. I wouldn't anticipate a great deal of lag time."

Mozeliak wouldn't address specific coaches except to say that he expects La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan to return for a 15th season. La Russa typically withholds comment on his future until after the season; Duncan's return has become a source of intrigue since he recently spoke out about philosophical differences between the major- and minor-league operations, especially as they pertain to pitching.

"I would like to think they'll both be back," Mozeliak said, adding any decisions regarding the staff are "shared" between him and the manager.

Uncertainty mounts, however, regarding the club's stance on hitting coach Hal McRae, who is in his fifth season in St. Louis.

A club source recently noted "concerns" about the club's inconsistent approach at the plate and the halting development of several young players, including rookie center fielder Colby Rasmus.

Except for Duncan, whose contract includes a mutual option for 2010, La Russa's staff is on one-year contracts. McRae said earlier this week that he has received no indication from the club regarding its plans.

The Cardinals last season led the National League in hitting while ranking fourth in runs scored. This season has offered a more fitful ride. The Cardinals finished fifth in hitting and seventh in runs this season while experiencing prolonged droughts in May and September.

McRae is the Cardinals' fifth hitting coach during La Russa's term, following George Hendrick, Dave Parker, Mike Easler and Mitchell Page. McRae's tenure as Cardinals hitting coach is longer than any of his predecessors under La Russa.

GAME 4 INTRIGUE

La Russa and Duncan refused to rule out Chris Carpenter as a possible starter for Sunday's Game 4 even after Carpenter wedged 105 pitches into Wednesday's five-inning start.

"It depends on how he comes out of it," La Russa said about Carpenter's recovery from a game in which he threw two-thirds of his pitches from the stretch. "You read the situation and proceed accordingly. He's still a possibility."

Carpenter has not started on three days' rest since returning from 2007 elbow surgery. La Russa and Duncan typically take into account the stress level of an outing. Carpenter admitted having little working for him in Wednesday's 5-3 loss, which left him with nine hits and four walks allowed.

Duncan said before Tuesday's game that he had no leaning toward either Kyle Lohse or John Smoltz and that both are available for relief duty through Game 3.

Lohse threw an extended side session during the sixth inning while Wainwright rolled through the Dodgers lineup. He parlayed questions after the game about a potential Game 4 start, calling it "top-secret stuff."

Smoltz said he would have pitched the 10th inning had the Cardinals escaped the ninth with a 2-2 tie. He said he had no idea where that leaves him for Sunday's possible Game 4.

ET CETERA

La Russa reacted angrily when a Major League Baseball official ordered the Cardinals clubhouse opened 10 minutes after the game. A team official briefly barred media from the clubhouse after the official had given the OK, despite a MLB mandate that allows for only a 10-minute cooling-off period.

When the MLB official returned, the clubhouse door was opened prior to La Russa's return from the interview room. Nearly 15 minutes had passed since Mark Loretta's game-winning hit.

"I told you to hold off the press until I came back in. That wasn't 10 minutes. Can't you give the guys a chance to breathe?" La Russa barked at director of media relations Brian Bartow.

The Cardinals banned media from Monday's "optional" workout that was attended by the entire squad.