(Sports Network) - Braden Looper will try for an encore performance on the mound tonight, when he leads the St. Louis Cardinals in the second test of a three-game interleague series versus the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium.

Looper is fresh off the first-ever shutout in his career in a 10-0 victory at Cincinnati on June 11. He allowed three hits and struck out four batters to improve to 8-5 with a 4.34 ERA in 14 starts this season.

The converted pitcher and right-hander has also alternated wins and losses over the past six trips to the mound. Looper is 0-1 with an 8.44 earned run average in five career relief appearances against Kansas City.

St. Louis had a two-game winning streak stopped with Tuesday's 2-1 loss in the opener of this set. Joel Pineiro started on the hill for the Cards and limited the Royals to one run and seven hits in seven innings of work. Relief pitcher Ron Villone gave up the deciding run in the eighth to suffer the setback in two-thirds of an inning.

The Cardinals are 2-2 on a six-game homestand and 23-15 at Busch Stadium this season. They remained 3 1/2 games behind Chicago for the lead in the NL Central after the Cubs lost at Tampa Bay.

Kansas City has won three in a row and is 3-1 on a six-game road trip. It improved to 16-24 as the visitor this season following last night's game, as Mike Aviles hit a solo homer in the eighth inning to lead Kansas City. Kyle Davies pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out four for the win.

KC is riding the longest winning streak since a five-game burst from May 11-16 this season. It will send Brian Bannister to the hill this evening, and he is 5-6 with a 5.00 ERA in 14 trips to the hill this season. Bannister has just two wins over the past 11 starts since opening the 2008 campaign with three straight no-decisions.

Bannister did not factor in the outcome of a 6-5 victory over Texas on June 12, allowing four runs and six hits in seven frames.

A right-handed product of USC, Bannister is just 1-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six road starts this season. In his only appearance against St. Louis on June 12, 2007, Bannister pitched seven shutout frames in an 8-1 victory.

St. Louis is 26-20 against the Royals since interleague play began during the 1997 campaign. The teams split six games in 2007.

The Cardinals are 86-78 all-time against the American League, while Kansas City sports a 91-109 record versus the Senior Circuit.