Holliday scratched from lineup due to illness

Cardinals cleanup hitter Matt Holliday is ill and was not in the lineup for the opening game of a three-game weekend series against the New York Mets.

Manager Tony La Russa said Holliday was at Busch Stadium and thought he would be taking indoor batting practice prior to Friday night's game. It was raining a little more than two hours before game-time and the tarp was on the field.

Holliday was batting .297 with three home runs and six RBIs after going 0 for 11 in their recent three-game series against the Astros. Ryan Ludwick, who had been batting second, moved to cleanup and rookie Allen Craig got the start in left field and batted second.