Cardinals vs. Marlins: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Starters, Line and More

Never mind what took place in Japan last week. The 2012 Major League Baseball season will get underway on Wednesday night when the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Miami Marlins at their new ballpark.

This game has everything you could ask for in an Opening Day game. It features the defending World Series champions on one side and a team in the Marlins that is stuffed to the gills with talent. As a bonus, the Marlins' brand new ballpark will be showcased on a national stage for the very first time.

If you're stoked to see baseball under the bright lights once again, you've come to the right place. Read on for a full preview of Wednesday night's game.

Where: Marlins Park in Miami, Florida

When: Wednesday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN and streaming online on ESPN3.com

Line: St. Louis +160, Miami -180; according to Sportsbook

Over/Under: 7, according to Sportsbook

Key Storylines

There are going to be a lot of storylines surrounding the Cardinals in this game. On the one hand, it will be the first game of their year-long title defense. On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, it will be their first real game without Albert Pujols and without Tony La Russa.

In other words, it's going to be the first game of a completely new era of Cardinals baseball.

The Marlins have entered a new era as well. They were very busy over the offseason, bringing in a new manager in Ozzie Guillen and high-priced free agents like Jose Reyes and Heath Bell. They also moved into a brand new ballpark.

The Marlins have the talent to compete for a division title this year. It won't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but they have an opportunity to make a huge statement on Wednesday night.

Key Injuries

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, ace right-hander Chris Carpenter, outfielder Allen Craig and infielder Skip Schumaker are all starting the season on the disabled list. All three are eligible to come off on April 10th, though that's highly unlikely in Carpenter's case.

The Marlins have lost right-handed reliever Jose Ceda for the season due to Tommy John surgery, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Other than that, they're in good shape.

Cardinals' Starting Pitcher: Kyle Lohse

Kyle Lohse is one of those pitchers who seems to define mediocrity, but he's coming off a very solid 2011 season. In 30 starts, Lohse had a 14-8 record with a 3.39 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.

Lohse owns a career record of 2-2 in six starts against the Marlins, with a 5.85 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. He's had trouble in particular with Hanley Ramirez, who has five hits in 13 at-bats against Lohse, with a homer and three doubles.

Marlins' Starting Pitcher: Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson is one of baseball's nastiest pitchers when he's healthy. Unfortunately, Johnson has a hard time staying healthy. He's already had to have Tommy John surgery, and last year, a shoulder injury limited him to nine starts.

The Marlins are hoping Johnson will recapture the form he showed in 2010, when he had an NL-best 2.30 ERA over 28 starts.

Johnson is 1-2 against the Cardinals in five career starts, albeit with a solid 3.60 ERA. 

Cardinals' Starting Lineup

The Cardinals unveiled their lineup for Wednesday night's game via their official Twitter account. Here it is

1. SS Rafael Furcal

2. RF Carlos Beltran

3. LF Matt Holliday

4. 1B Lance Berkman

5. 3B David Freese

6. C Yadier Molina

7. CF Jon Jay

8. 2B Daniel Descalso

9. SP Kyle Lohse

Marlins' Starting Lineup

And here is the Marlins' lineup, courtesy of the team's official website:

1. SS Jose Reyes

2. CF Emilio Bonifacio

3. 3B Hanley Ramirez

4. RF Giancarlo Stanton

5. LF Logan Morrison

6. 1B Gaby Sanchez

7. 2B Omar Infante

8. C John Buck

9. SP Josh Johnson

What They're Saying

A handful of notable writers and other baseball experts recently sounded off on the Cardinals in an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The chief concern they all shared was how the loss of Carpenter was going to affect the team's pitching.

Here's what the Jeff Gordon (not the driver) had to say on the matter:

"

The Cardinals expected pitching to be their strength this season. So the loss of Chris Carpenter for at least a few months punches a hole in their rotation. Even if Lance Lynn does a solid job filling in, the Cards will miss Carpenter’s leadership and his love of big-game challenges. Adam Wainwright will fill some of the leadership void, but a hole will remain.

"

Gordon and the other contributors are not wrong. The longer Carpenter is out, the harder it will be for the Cardinals to keep up with the competition in the NL Central.

Meanwhile, in Miami, Greg Cote of the Miami Herald wrote a solid piece on how the Marlins' new ballpark will bring fans out to the ballgame. But in order to keep them coming, the Marlins will have to win.

Here's a brief passage that pretty much sums it up:

"

The comfort, elimination of rain delays and curiosity factor will make the new ballpark good for great crowds all this maiden season, but over time the story will be less and less the ballpark and more and more the home team inside it.

"

The good news is that the Marlins can win with the team they have. All the right pieces are coming together at the right time.

Cardinals Player to Watch: Matt Holliday

This offseason, much was made of how the Cardinals could even hope to replace Albert Pujols' lost production.

How about a big season from Matt Holliday?

It certainly wouldn't hurt, and Holliday is in line for a bounce-back season after various freak injuries limited him to 124 games last season. The season before, when he was fully healthy, he hit .312 with 28 home runs and 103 RBI.

Holliday will be a guy to watch all season long, but we'll see if he has it in him to start with a bang.

Marlins Player to Watch: Hanley Ramirez

Despite all the buzz about Guillen, Reyes, the new ballpark and all the other storylines surrounding the Marlins, Hanley Ramirez managed to steal all the headlines this spring.

This is because Ramirez looked very, very good throughout the exhibition season, and he seemed much happier and much more optimistic than he ever was at any point in the 2011 season. 

This is not a huge surprise. Injuries robbed Ramirez of a lot of playing time last season, and he wasn't happy either. Right now, he looks a lot more like the player who was one of the National League's best between 2006 and 2010.

If you're looking for a dark horse MVP candidate, Ramirez's name is at the top of the list.

Key Matchup: Yadier Molina vs. Miami's base-stealers

You don't run on Yadier Molina. It's a bad idea, plain and simple.

But the Marlins are going to try anyway. They have two speedsters at the top of their lineup in Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio, and Ramirez can run a little too. If these guys get on base, Molina is going to have his hands full.

If Molina can keep them from advancing or gun them down, the Marlins will have to find other ways to score runs.

Prediction: Marlins 4, Cardinals 2

The Marlins clearly have the edge in the starting pitching matchup, and I'm looking for their lineup to get off to a semi-hot start against Lohse. Look for Johnson to earn his first win of the season, with Bell nailing down his first save.

For funsies, I'm going to say we'll also see a home run for Giancarlo Stanton.