ON DECK

* Opponent--St. Louis Cardinals, two games.

* Site--Busch Stadium.

* Tonight--5.

* TV--FX Tuesday.

* Radio--KABC (790), KWKW (1330).

* Records--Dodgers 82-67, Cardinals 69-79.

* Record vs. Cardinals--3-6.

TONIGHT’S GAME

DODGERS’

ISMAEL VALDES

(9-11, 2.78 ERA)

vs.

CARDINALS’

RIGO BELTRAN

(1-1, 2.84 ERA)

* Update--The Cardinals might be buried in third place in the NL Central, far out of the postseason chase, but they still figure to be a problem for the Dodgers, who have won only three of nine against St. Louis this season, including one of four at Busch Stadium. The Dodgers also must guard against looking ahead because their last two games against the Giants are coming up next in San Francisco. Despite struggling to get back to .500, Valdes remains strong in the more-telling earned-run average department with the fifth-best ERA in the league. In his last 13 starts, Valdes is 6-3 with a 2.03 ERA. Beltran has 41 strikeouts in 38 innings.

* Tuesday, 5 p.m.--Ramon Martinez (9-4, 3.51) vs. Mike Busby (0-0, 0.00).