Back Brewers for Series Win Over Cardinals
A pair of National League Central teams will meet for the second time this season when the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers clash in a four-game series on Thursday. The series will be the second of four this season, with the two meeting in Milwaukee this time after the Brewers swept the Cardinals in St. Louis the first time around.
The two now sit in opposite positions in the division, with Milwaukee atop the NL Central while St. Louis is 6.5 games behind in last place. The Cardinals will hope to carve into that lead in their upcoming series, but with their recent struggles, Milwaukee remains the better MLB pick to take the series.
Cardinals vs Brewers Game Information
- Game: Cardinals vs Brewers
- Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
- Day/Time: May 9 (7:40 p.m. ET); May 10 (8:10 p.m. ET); May 11 (7:15 p.m. ET); May 12 (2:10 p.m. ET)
- Cardinals vs Brewers Live Stream: MLB.tv
Game 1: Lynn Gives Cardinals Edgehref
St. Louis has had its issues lately, dropping its last two series against both the White Sox and the Mets due to mediocre pitching, but it should have the upper hand in game one.
The Cardinals will be starting Lance Lynn in hopes of getting out to a stronger start in the opener. Lynn has been solid for St. Louis, going 1-0 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, and he’s been even better on the road. Lynn has allowed just two earned runs and thrown nine strikeouts in three games and 16 innings on the road for a 1.13 ERA, picking up his lone win.
On the other side will be Tobias Myers, who has had a few more struggles for Milwaukee with an 0-2 record and 6.23 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Myers is coming off a game where he allowed four earned runs and two homers in three innings. He also gave up four earned and two home runs in five innings in his last home start as well. With the pitching edge going to St. Louis, the Cardinals should be able to take game one.
Game 2: Brewers Back on Track
Though neither team has announced their starters for Friday, I am still more inclined to side with Milwaukee in game two.
The Cardinals haven’t had the strongest offense and they haven’t been too hot on the road either, sporting a .224 batting average and .334 slugging percentage. Furthermore, St. Louis struggled offensively in its first series against Milwaukee, getting shut out once and averaging two runs a game.
The Brewers, on the other hand, have a .238 batting average and .413 slugging percentage at home while they took care of things on the road against the Cardinals in the previous series. Though Milwaukee’s breakout was a 12-run performance in game two, it finished with a .246 batting average and 5.33 runs a game. Barring any big pitching differences, the Brewers should be able to bounce back in the second game.
Game 3: Pitching Takes Center Stage
A pitching duel should be on tap for game three as a pair of solid starters in Kyle Gibson and Freddy Peralta will take the mound.
Both have gotten off to good starts this season, with Gibson going 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.18 WHIP for St. Louis while Peralta has a 3-1 record with a 3.49 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. However, Gibson has been slightly better on the road, owning a 3.15 ERA and .203 opponent batting average. Gibson’s last game on the road was against Detroit, where he limited the Tigers to one earned run and a home run with nine strikeouts in seven innings.
Despite this, Milwaukee still may have the upper hand. Though Peralta is slightly less reliable at home with a 4.09 ERA, he still has limited teams to a .139 opponent batting average. He also held the Cardinals to zero earned runs while throwing seven strikeouts in six innings last month. With a close matchup on the mound, the team that has the offensive edge should grab the win, which appears to be Milwaukee.
Game 4: Brewers Clinch Series Win
St. Louis will try to even the series in game four, but with the advantage the Brewers have on the mound to close it out, it doesn’t look likely for the Cardinals.
Mike Mikolas will be starting for St. Louis and he has had his struggles, going 2-5 with a 6.43 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. Mikolas also had issues slowing Milwaukee the first time around, giving up five earned runs and three home runs in 4 ⅔ innings. He was pounded by the Mets for six runs and nine hits over four innings on Tuesday.
While Mikolas has had his struggles, converted reliever Bryce Wilson will be starting for the Brewers. Wilson has started four games this season, owning a 2.40 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He is coming off a start where he gave up zero earned runs with six strikeouts in six innings. He also held St. Louis scoreless in 1 ⅓ innings the last time out and he should help Milwaukee secure the series in the finale.
Series Prediction: Brewers win 3-1
The Brewers took the first series of the season over St. Louis after sweeping them on the road, and they look to be the favorite to take the second as well to stay on top of the NL Central.
Although the Cardinals should have the upper hand in game one to help them avoid another sweep, Milwaukee should have control through the rest of the four-game series and be the winner for MLB predictions.
Questions Of The Day
How many games is the series?
The Cardinals and Brewers will compete in a four-game series beginning Thursday.
Which team has the better offense in the series?
The Brewers have the better offense, as they have a .253 batting average compared to the .218 batting average of St. Louis.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
