Milwaukee @ St. Louis preview
Busch Stadium
Last Meeting ( Apr 11, 2010 ) St. Louis 7, Milwaukee 8
Something about Busch Stadium brings out the best in Adam Wainwright. The Milwaukee Brewers also have a fondness for the ballpark.
Wainwright looks to keep his perfect home record intact tonight as the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series against the Brewers.
After going 7-7 at Busch last season, Wainwright has been unbeatable at home in 2010, posting a 4-0 record with a 2.10 ERA in four starts. The 28-year-old owns a 26-17 career mark at the ballpark.
Wainwright also has had modest success against the Brewers, going 5-3 with one save in 18 meetings - including 11 starts. The right-hander last faced Milwaukee on Oct. 2, finishing with a no-decision despite carrying a 6-1 lead into the seventh inning.
On Sunday, Wainwright notched his seventh win of the season, limiting the Chicago Cubs to one run and seven hits in seven frames of a 9-1 triumph. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 10 of his 11 starts this year.
Wainwright may have a more difficult time tonight with Milwaukee, which enters having won its last four games at Busch and 13 of 16.
But the Brewers have lost four of five overall and three of four on their seven-game road trip.
On Thursday, Milwaukee trailed Florida 3-0 before making a late surge as Rickie Weeks lifted a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Ryan Braun delivered an RBI single with one out in the ninth. But Leo Nunez induced a flyout by Prince Fielder and struck out Corey Hart to seal the win for the Marlins.
The late-inning scoring is nothing new for the Brewers, who with 103 trail only the New York Yankees (110) and Atlanta Braves (105) for the most runs scored after the sixth inning.
Taking the mound for Milwaukee tonight will be Randy Wolf, who has a 3-5 lifetime record in 11 starts against St. Louis. On April 11, the 33-year-old left-hander yielded four runs - two earned - in 6 2/3 innings but did not factor in the decision of an 8-7 victory over the Cardinals.
In his most recent start, Wolf surrendered two runs and five hits in five innings of a 10-4 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday but received a no-decision.
Wolf has had some trouble with St. Louis' sluggers over his career. Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday have combined to go 12-for-39 (.308) with two home runs and 12 RBIs against the veteran southpaw.
Milwaukee's fearsome trio of Braun, Hart and Prince Fielder are just 21-for-90 (.233) vs. Wainwright but have belted four homers and driven in 14 runs.
The Cardinals, who have won five of seven, captured round one of the battle between the National League Central Division rivals, taking two of three at Milwaukee from April 9-11.