Milwaukee @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2018 ) Milwaukee 2, St. Louis 5

It remains to be seen if St. Louis Cardinals interim manager Mike Shildt will be leading the team next season, but he’s making a strong case for the permanent job. St. Louis continues its three-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday after moving closer in the race for the second National League wild-card spot with Friday’s 5-2 victory.

Kolten Wong and Marcell Ozuna each recorded two RBIs while Jedd Gyorko belted his 10th home run on Friday as the Cardinals won for the ninth time in 10 contests and pulled within one-half game of the Brewers for the second wild-card spot. Bud Norris recorded his 24th save in 28 opportunities for the Cardinals, who improved to 20-10 since Shildt replaced Mike Matheny on July 15. Milwaukee has lost three of four to fall 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central but hopes to have Manny Pina available Saturday after the catcher missed the series opener with a sore left shoulder. Ryan Braun, who is batting .365 with four homers and 12 RBIs over his last 18 games, was held out of the starting lineup Friday due to rib cage tightness but struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers LH Wade Miley (2-1, 2.23 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Miles Mikolas (12-3, 2.85)

Miley turned in another solid outing last Saturday, allowing two runs over six frames in a no-decision against Atlanta. “He’s a guy pitching with some confidence. He’s comfortable,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell told reporters. “His cutter has been a big pitch for him and his strike-throwing is improving as he gets starts under his belt. There’s a lot of good signs there.” Matt Carpenter has recorded six hits in 13 at-bats against Miley, who is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA in five career starts versus St. Louis.

Mikolas tossed seven innings for the third straight start, allowing four runs and four hits in a no-decision against Washington on Monday. The 29-year-old Floridian served up multiple home runs in a game for first time since his season-opening start at Milwaukee on April 2. Mikolas is 2-0 with a 4.82 ERA and 15-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in three starts versus the Brewers this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Brewers have gone 10-5 over their last 15 games at Busch Stadium.

2. St. Louis can record its seventh straight series win with a victory on Saturday.

3. Milwaukee OF Eric Thames left Friday’s game in the third inning with right knee soreness and is listed as day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 6, Brewers 4