Five games separates first from last in the NL Central with four teams playing above .500 ball. Starting tonight, the Cardinals play a four game series in Milwaukee. The Cardinals starting rotation shut down the Brewers once this season, taking two of three from the Brewers in St. Louis from April 12-14, shutting them out twice. Jake Westbrook will take the ball in the opener at Miller Park.
“The starting pitching has been a constant for us and he’s helped lead the way,” manager Mike Matheny said. “You can’t ask the starters to do more than they’ve done.”
Westbrook (1-1, 0.98 ERA) hasn’t been charged with an earned run in three of his four starts.
The Brewers counter with Wily Peralta (2-1, 5.02 ERA), who will make his first career start against the Cards. Peralta has won two in a row, allowing five runs over 12.2 innings after posting an ERA over six through his first three starts.
Milwaukee’s Carlos Gomez enters on an eight-game hitting streak during which he’s 15 for 29 (.517) with three homers and five RBIs. Carlos Beltran is 8 for 21 (.381) with three homers and five RBIs in his last seven games. David Freese has sat the last two days in an 0 for 16 slump.
Watch as I break down the series with Justin Hull of WSCO Radio in Appleton, WI.
Sign up for Google+ and you can be in on future Google Hangouts on Missourinet.com
