Chris Carpenter gave the Cardinals a much-needed lift Thursday, limiting the Brewers to two runs on 10 hits and three walks over eight innings in a 5-2 victory. Obviously the Brew Crew didn't have any trouble getting runners on -- though they did bloop in many of their hits -- but Carp was able to limit the damage. In finally moving to an even 8-8 on the season, Carpenter halted the Brewers' winning streak and moved the Cards to within four games of the NL Central lead. He'll carry an improving 3.68 ERA and 1.34 WHIP into next week's outing versus the Pirates.

Chris Carpenter has been placed on the minor league disabled list with a strained oblique. Carpenter posted a 2.79 ERA in 10 games earlier this season for the Cubs but also walked seven over 7 2/3 innings. He's been similarly wild at Triple-A Iowa, walking 22 over 28 2/3 frames. The 25-year-old is likely to be back with the big club in September if he can get over the oblique ailment.

Chris Carpenter allowed five runs on seven hits in just five innings of work on Monday, falling to 6-8 in St. Louis' 6-2 loss to the Brewers. Carpenter allowed just one hit through his first four innings of work, but came completely unraveled in the fifth. He was hurt by a number of defensive miscues behind him, but it was still an awful outing for someone who had gone at least seven innings in eight of his past 10 starts. Carpenter's first chance to bounce-back should come on Saturday in Florida.

Chris Carpenter moved to 6-7 Friday, yielding four runs on 10 hits and a walk over eight innings in a 6-4 win over the Pirates. He struck out four. Carpenter didn't have his best stuff in this one, but he battled and wound up going at least eight innings for the seventh time in his last 11 starts. Only Roy Halladay has logged more innings than Carpenter this season, and an ERA that sat at 4.95 on May 15 is now down to 3.73. He'll try to even his record at .500 next week in a juicy matchup against the Astros.

Chris Carpenter hurled eight innings of one-run ball in Saturday's defeat of the Reds. Carpenter again did not have dominating stuff, but he operated efficiently in situations that required damage control and was able to scatter seven hits. He wound up walking three and fanning seven batters. The veteran right-hander will carry an improving 3.69 ERA into his next start against the hard-charging Pirates.

Cubs recalled RHP Chris Carpenter from Triple-A Iowa. Carpenter was optioned back to Iowa just a couple of days ago but is needed again in the wake of Marcus Mateo's elbow injury. The 25-year-old Carpenter has posted an ugly 2.22 WHIP in eight relief appearances this season.

Chris Carpenter made it three straight dominating outings in a row on Monday, holding the Reds to just six singles in eight scoreless innings of work in a 1-0 Cardinals victory. Carpenter was locked in an epic duel with Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto all afternoon, with the difference being an infield hit from St. Louis' Mark Hamilton in the eighth inning. Carpenter was one pitch away from throwing 120 pitches for the fourth consecutive start. Now 4-7 on the year, the Cardinals ace has lowered his ERA from 4.47 on June 17 to 3.74 by allowing just two runs in his past 25 innings of work. After it looked like he was in decline earlier this season, he has emphatically shown that is not the case.

Cubs optioned RHP Chris Carpenter to Triple-A Iowa. RHP Casey Coleman - who will make a spot start Monday in place of Ryan Dempster (back) - will take Carpenter's spot on the active roster. There's a good chance Carpenter will be recalled following Monday's game.

Chris Carpenter went the distance against the Orioles on Wednesday evening, allowing just one run on seven hits in a 5-1 Cardinals victory in Baltimore. Just like that, Carpenter has now won back-to-back starts after a string of hard-luck outings. However, he's thrown a ton of pitches in the process, going over 120 in both of his past two starts before throwing an eye-popping 132 this evening, the most he's thrown since July 16, 1999 when he was still with the Blue Jays. Pretty soon, he's either going to need an extra day of rest or extra short leash.

Chris Carpenter held the Phillies to one run in seven innings Thursday in a 12-2 victory. Carp was excellent, fanning seven batters while allowing just one walk as the Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep. The veteran right-hander threw 124 pitches and has totaled 250 pitches over his last two outings, but he has handled big workloads in the past and seems to be embracing the pressure brought on by Albert Pujols' sudden forearm fracture. For St. Louis to stay afloat, Carpenter needs to be at his best. And he knows that.