Milwaukee @ St. Louis preview
Busch Stadium
Last Meeting ( Apr 29, 2014 ) Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 4
Even with a recent rash of injuries to many of their star players, the Milwaukee Brewers are loving life away from home. The Brewers eye their first three-game road sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals since October 2009 on Wednesday after persevering through two extra-inning affairs to improve to 11-1 away from Miller Park. Khris Davis, who delivered the game-winning triple in the 12th inning during Monday’s 5-3 series-opening win, also scored the decisive run in the 11th in Tuesday’s 5-4 triumph.
The Brewers’ recent success is all the more impressive because Ryan Braun (oblique) has missed three straight contests and Jean Segura (face) served only as a pinch hitter Tuesday following a two-game absence. Aramis Ramirez (elbow) and Jonathan Lucroy joined them on the bench Tuesday, robbing the team of their usual No. 2 through No. 5 hitters. The Cardinals have dropped seven of 10 to fall 6½ games behind the Brewers in the National League Central, but could get a much-needed boost in the finale from starter Shelby Miller, who is 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA in six all-time outings against Milwaukee.
TV: 1:45 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Matt Garza (1-2, 4.09 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Shelby Miller (2-2, 2.86)
Garza posted his first win in five outings as a Brewer (and second over his last 12 starts) in Friday’s 5-2 triumph against the Chicago Cubs. The 30-year-old, who matched a season high with seven strikeouts over seven innings while allowing two runs on four hits in the victory, has a 6.55 ERA in two road turns (compared to a 2.86 ERA in three home outings). Garza is 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA in eight career starts against the Cardinals, but has an 8.31 ERA at Busch Stadium.
Even though Miller turned his second straight scoreless outing in Friday’s 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, he continued his troubling trend of issuing too many walks and is tied for the major-league lead with 18. The 15-game winner from a season ago, who has walked at least three in every start, yielded three hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings versus Pittsburgh. Miller allowed one run over six innings in an April 15 road win over the Brewers and has not given up a run in either of his two career home starts against Milwaukee.
WALK-OFFS
1. Milwaukee has a major league-leading 22 quality starts, including nine in a row.
2. The Cardinals have squandered three-run leads in consecutive games after not doing so over their first 26 contests.
3. The Brewers’ 20 wins and closer Francisco Rodriguez’s 13 saves before May 1 are both club records.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Brewers 2