St. Louis @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 14, 2011 ) Milwaukee 1, St. Louis 7

THE STORY: The St. Louis Cardinals can’t seem to get a starter into the sixth inning during the National League Championship Series. But with the bullpen cruising right along, that hasn’t mattered. Cardinals relievers lowered their ERA to 1.66 in the series with 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 5, helping St. Louis to a 7-1 victory and a 3-2 lead in the series. Despite the hole, the Milwaukee Brewers can be confident with the series shifting back to Miller Park on Sunday for Game 6.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Edwin Jackson (0-0, 4.15 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Shaun Marcum (0-1, 11.25 ERA).

Jackson made it through 4 1/3 innings in Game 2, allowing two runs on seven hits before giving way to the bullpen in an eventual 12-3 St. Louis win. The righthander’s lone mistake was a two-run homer surrendered to Rickie Weeks in the fourth.

Marcum was not quite as effective in Game 2. The 29-year old was touched for five runs in four innings and had a hard time retiring Albert Pujols, who homered and hit a two-run double off Marcum. In his last three starts including the regular season, Marcum has a 12.83 ERA.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Part of the reason St. Louis had such a large deficit to overcome down the stretch was because the bullpen blew 26 saves during the regular season, most of them in the first half. Things have been different in the NLCS, as manager Tony La Russa has used his bullpen for at least 12 outs in each game. Milwaukee threatened to rally in the eighth inning on Friday but La Russa got through Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Weeks with three different relievers.

ABOUT THE BREWERS: Milwaukee has gotten only one quality start of its own - a Game 4 win from Randy Wolf - and came out flat in Game 5. The Brewers committed four errors, leading to three unearned runs off starter Zack Greinke. Owner of the best home record in baseball during the regular season, Milwaukee has ace Yovani Gallardo set up for Game 7 if it can find a way to squeeze out a win on Sunday.

FINAL PITCH: The Cardinals have won five of their last seven at Miller Park, including a 12-3 victory in Game 2.