Chris Carpenter scattered eight hits over eight innings as the Cardinals beat the Phillies 5-0 on Sunday night. All eight hits were singles, so Carpenter was able to hold the Phillies scoreless and combine with Fernando Salas on the shutout. He's climbed to 10-9 on the season, which is pretty impressive considering that he was 1-7 back on June 17.

Cardinals signed RHP Chris Carpenter to a two-year, $21 million contract extension. The deal takes the place of Carpenter's $15 million team option with a $1 million buyout for 2012 and it's a great move by St. Louis. Carpenter has a 3.75 ERA and 1.30 WHIP and is fourth among NL pitchers with 206 innings pitched. He'll be under contract through his age-38 season. Carpenter isn't what he once was, but he's well above average and in the midst of a third straight healthy season.

Sources told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Cardinals and Chris Carpenter have come to terms on a new two-year deal worth about $21 million. That's a great deal for the Cardinals. They held a $15 million option for Carpenter for next year which might have been difficult to exercise if they re-signed Albert Pujols. Now they'll only have to pay him about two-thirds of that next year. Carpenter isn't what he was, but he's still well above average and he's in the midst of a third straight healthy season.

Chris Carpenter went the distance against the Brewers on Wednesday, throwing a four-hit shutout in a 2-0 Cardinals victory. Carpenter struck out five, walked two and needed just 97 pitches to complete his third nine-inning effort of the season (and 32nd of his career). The outing was a much needed one for the Cardinals ace, who had allowed six runs in both of his past two starts. He'll bring a 3.75 ERA and 1.30 WHIP into his Tuesday start against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Chris Carpenter struggled in his second straight start Friday, giving up six runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings in a loss to the Reds. He struck out five. Carpenter picked up a no-decision, but he surrendered six runs for the second straight start despite being given an extra day of rest. The former Cy Young winner has mostly been terrific since the beginning of June but still sports an 8-9 record and middling 3.92 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He'll try to pick up his ninth win next week against the Brewers.

Chris Carpenter was smoked for six runs over five innings in a loss to the Pirates on Saturday. Four of the six runs scored in the fourth inning. Carpenter yielded nine hits (including a solo homer to Neil Walker) while striking out five and walking two. His ERA jumped from 3.57 to 3.76 in the loss. The veteran right-hander will attempt to rebound with a start against the Reds next week.

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Chris Carpenter was claimed off waivers by multiple teams earlier this month but then pulled back. Carpenter said he was unaware of the waiver claims and that the Cardinals never presented him with a trade possibility, so evidently the team didn't really consider dealing him. The veteran would have been an interesting addition to a playoff-bound team given how he's pitched since his early-season struggles. The Cards have a $15 million option on Carp for 2012 that they're likely either to exercise or, perhaps more likely, renegotiate into a two- to three-year deal.

Chris Carpenter hurled eight innings of one-run ball in Monday's no-decision against the Dodgers. He struck out three, walked one and scattered five hits. The only blemish against him Monday was his bullpen allowing an inherited run. Tony La Russa sent Carpenter out in the ninth -- his pitch count was below 100 -- and the veteran hit Juan Rivera and was relieved by Arthur Rhodes. Rivera scored later on a triple by Aaron Miles off Fernando Salas. Carpenter has been nothing short of brilliant since early-season struggles left him at 1-7 with a 4.47 ERA on June 17. He's 7-1 since that time and has lowered his ERA down to 3.57.

Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan will be away from the club indefinitely to be with his recovering wife. Mrs. Duncan underwent "major surgery" this weekend, according to a report released Monday afternoon by the Cardinals. Dave and his son Shelley, who has been excused from the Indians, will be given all the time they need. Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist has been filling in as St. Louis' pitching coach since Friday.

Chris Carpenter was superb in a no-decision Tuesday, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out a season-high 10 in a loss to the Pirates. Skip Schumaker booted a potential double-play ball that would have gotten Carp out of the third inning, and the next batter, Andrew McCutchen, deposited a ball into the left-field seats for a three-run homer. Carpenter has pitched brilliantly since his early-season struggles that left him at 1-7 with a 4.47 ERA on June 17. He'll take a 3.68 ERA and 142/44 K/BB ratio into next week's start against the Dodgers.