In Cards season leadoff homers, there's Brock and then there's Marp
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter hit his 20th home run of the season Sunday, and his 14th while batting leadoff, which puts him in some rather exclusive company.
The home run moved Carpenter into sole possession of second place on the Cardinals' single-season home-run list by leadoff hitters. The one man he trails is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
MOST HOMERS IN A SEASON WHILE BATTING LEADOFF FOR CARDINALS
| Player | Year | Homers as leadoff hitter |
| Lou Brock | 1967 | 21 |
| Matt Carpenter | 2015 | 14 |
| Solly Hemus |
1952 | 13 |
| Lou Brock | 1970 | 12 |
| Ray Lankford | 1994 | 12 |
The Cardinals open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Monday night. That series has been a very one-sided affair at Busch Stadium over the last several years. Since 2008, the Cardinals are 18-2 at home against the Nats.
BEST RECORD AT HOME AGAINST ANY OPPONENT SINCE 2008
| Team | Opponent | Record (win percentage)* |
| St. Louis Cardinals |
Washington Nationals |
18-2 (.900) |
| Miami Marlins | Houston Astros | 14-3 (.824) |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Arizona Diamondbacks | 19-5 (.792) |
| Chicago White Sox | Seattle Mariners | 25-7 (.781) |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Pittsburgh Pirates | 50-16 (.758) |
| * Minimum 12 games |
This season, the Cardinals have been dominant at home against pretty much everybody. And that is especially true against baseball's better teams.
HIGHEST WIN PERCENTAGE AT HOME VS. TEAMS OVER .500 SINCE 1900
| Team | Record |
Win percentage* |
| 2015 St. Louis Cardinals |
22-5 | .815 |
| 1982 Kansas City Royals | 30-7 | .811 |
| 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates |
17-4 | .810 |
| 1975 Cincinnati Reds | 26-7 | .788 |
| 1951 New York Yankees |
26-7 | .788 |
| 1913 New York Giants | 26-7 | .788 |
| * Based on end-of-season records; current record for 2015 Cardinals |
MOST CONSECUTIVE HOME STARTS BY A CARDINAL ALLOWING THREE OR FEWER RUNS TO BEGIN SEASON SINCE 1914
| Pitcher | Year | Starts |
| John Lackey |
2015 | 13 (active) |
| Adam Wainwright |
2010 | 13 |
| Joe Magrane | 1987 | 12 |
| Bill Doak | 1919 | 12 |
| Chris Carpenter | 2006 | 10 |
| John Denny | 1978 | 10 |
| Pete Vuckovich | 1978 | 10 |
