Series Preview 4/15-17: Cardinals at Brewers

After a trip to Monterrey to participate in the Mexico Series, the Cardinals are up north in Milwaukee. This week, they will play three games against the Brewers at Miller Park.

Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader missed Sunday’s game with right hamstring tightness. The team made a move that probably corresponds with this before Monday’s game, as they recalled Drew Robinson from Triple-A Memphis and optioned reliever Giovanny Gallegos.

The Cardinals enter the series with a record of 9-6, and the Brewers are 10-6. Outside of the Padres, the Brewers are the only National League team with a winning record to have a negative run differential. Entering play Monday, Milwaukee sits at -6 and the Padres at -3 runs; the Cardinals are +16, and that is the second highest in the league. The Dodgers lead the way with a +22, despite a recent six-game skid.

For Monday’s series opener, the Brewers will send Freddy Peralta to the mound at 6:40 PM Central time. Peralta will make his fourth start of the season and second against the Cardinals. Lost in between his three-inning outings against the Cardinals (on 3/29) and Angels (4/9) is a gem he tossed in Cincinnati. Peralta fired eight scoreless innings and limited the Reds to just two hits with 11 punchouts. His career high in strikeouts is 13 and came last May in his MLB debut against.. St. Louis.

The Cardinals will counter with Dakota Hudson. Hudson threw exactly 100 pitches (59 strikes) in his last start against the Dodgers and worked 4 ²⁄₃ scoreless innings with four strikeouts and as many walks. Hudson pitched against the Brewers on 3/30, his first MLB start; he allowed home runs to Christian Yelich, Travis Shaw, and Mike Moustakas.

The middle game of the series on Tuesday will feature Brandon Woodruff and Jack Flaherty in another 6:40 PM start. Woodruff struck out seven and allowed four runs in his six-inning outing against the Angels on 4/10. Woodruff made his first start of 2019 against the Cardinals and worked five innings of two-run ball. Paul DeJong and Kolten Wong each had doubles against Woodruff, who made few mistakes in this ballgame.

This will be Flaherty’s fourth start of the season. Flaherty worked a quality start against the Dodgers last week with eight strikeouts and just one earned run allowed. Flaherty was touched for four runs against Milwaukee in his season debut, capped by a three-run homer to Ryan Braun. Braun owns a .282/.320/.461 slash-line with 25 long balls and 36 doubles in 718 career plate appearances against St. Louis.

Wednesday’s series finale is a day game - a 12:40 PM first pitch. Corbin Burnes will start for the Brewers. Burnes leads Milwaukee’s pitching staff with 21 strikeouts (12 came in his 3/31 start against the Cardinals); nonetheless, that’s about the only bright spot for the 24-year-old in his first season as a starter. Opponents are batting .339 off Burnes with nine home runs in 14 ¹⁄₃ frames.

Michael Wacha will toe the rubber for St. Louis. Wacha started the finale of last week’s series sweep of the Dodgers and needed 92 pitches to get through two outs in the fourth inning. He allowed seven earned runs in this start, but it’s worth noting he allowed just two earned runs combined between his two other starts entering Wednesday. Wacha has a 3.29 ERA in 27 ¹⁄₃ career innings at Miller Park.

So, to recap:

Monday, 4/15, 6:40 | Peralta v Hudson | FSMW, KMOX, CRN

Tuesday, 4/16, 6:40 | Woodruff v Flaherty | FSMW, KMOX, CRN

Wednesday, 4/17, 12:40 | Burnes v Wacha | FSMW, KMOX, CRN

Notes from around the league:

• Clayton Kershaw will make his return from the injured list this evening when he takes the mound for a start against the Reds.
• Rays outfielder Austin Meadows and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. were named the Players of the Week. Meadows hit .545 with four homers, and Acuna also batted .545 and drove in nine runs. Tampa Bay (12-4) is the only team in the American League East with a winning record, while the Braves, Mets, and Phillies each have nine wins in the National League East.