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(Sports Network) - Former Cy Young Award winner and postseason hero Chris Carpenter returns to the mound for the first time in more than a year tonight, when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves in the third test of a four-game series at Turner Field.

Carpenter won the Cy Young Award in 2005 after going 21-5 with a 2.83 earned run average, then helped the Cardinals to an improbable World Series title in 2006 by winning three postseason games.

He started on Opening Day in 2007, but complained of right elbow pain after allowing five runs in six innings of a loss to the New York Mets. He eventually underwent ligament replacement surgery one year ago.

Carpenter, who is 2-1 in five lifetime starts against Atlanta, returns to a bettered Cardinals rotation that already has prospective starters Mark Mulder, Adam Wainwright and Matt Clement on the disabled list.

For the Braves, young right-hander Jair Jurrjens tries to continue a recent run that's seen him win five times in eight starts.

The 22-year-old defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in his last start on July 25, allowing three hits and striking out six in eight scoreless innings of Atlanta's 8-2 triumph. The defeat of Philadelphia was his 10th of the season.

Jurrjens reached the majors and made seven starts with the Detroit Tigers, going 3-1 with a 4.70 ERA in 30 2/3 innings. He has never faced the Cardinals.

On Tuesday, Albert Pujols homered, doubled and walked, while Yadier Molina went 3-for-5 and knocked in a pair of runs as St. Louis dropped the reeling Braves, 8-3, on the day Atlanta traded first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Teixeira, who led the Braves with 78 runs batted in and was tied for the team lead in home runs with 20, was sent to the west coast in exchange for first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Steve Marek.

Brendan Ryan went 2-for-5 with a run batted in for the Cardinals, who have won three of their last four.

Ryan Franklin (4-4) tossed two scoreless innings to win in relief of Todd Wellemeyer, who held the Braves to two runs on eight hits in six frames.

Gregor Blanco went 4-for-4 with an RBI for the Braves, who are mired in a four-game losing streak. Greg Norton started in the spot vacated by Teixeira and went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Rafael Soriano (0-1) allowed an unearned run and lost behind Jorge Campillo, who allowed two runs on seven hits in seven solid innings. Mike Gonzalez was tagged for five runs -- just one earned -- in two-thirds of an inning.

St. Louis won four of its seven matchups with the Braves last season.