Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals Game Thread: Brewers Look to Extend Lead in NL Central Clash
The Milwaukee Brewers enter Memorial Day fresh off a weekend series loss, their first since late April against Pittsburgh, but they still managed a strong 4-2 stretch against the Cubs and Dodgers. They now open a three-game series at American Family Field against the unexpectedly competitive St. Louis Cardinals, who sit near the top of the NL Central with a 29-22 record despite a modest plus-one run differential. Much of St. Louis’ success has come in close games, where the Cardinals are 10-4 in one-run contests and 7-2 in extra-inning games, suggesting they may be outperforming their underlying numbers, though Milwaukee can’t afford to overlook them.
The Cardinals will start left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who has had a mixed season. In 10 starts, he is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA and a 4.84 FIP, while averaging 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings, 3.5 walks per nine, and 1.6 home runs allowed per nine. He has given up four runs in five innings or fewer in each of his last two outings, giving the Brewers a chance to attack early and pressure a pitcher who has not been at his sharpest.
Milwaukee will counter with rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who has been one of the biggest stories of the month. He has not allowed a run since April 25 against Pittsburgh and is in the middle of a dominant May, posting a 0.00 ERA over 24 1/3 innings with 37 strikeouts, only five walks, and just nine hits allowed. If he throws another scoreless game, it would likely seal a scoreless month of May for the hard-throwing righty. His rapid rise has pushed him into the conversation for the Cy Young Award, a remarkable leap for a pitcher who has exceeded expectations almost immediately.
Christian Yelich returns to the Brewers lineup for the holiday matchup, even against the left-handed Liberatore. Milwaukee’s order also includes Brice Turang, Garrett Mitchell, Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins, Luis Rengifo, Joey Ortiz, Andrew Vaughn, and William Contreras. On the Cardinals’ side, JJ Wetherholt headlines the lineup. The highly regarded prospect has quickly become one of the league’s best middle infielders, pairing a 120 OPS+ and nine home runs with elite defensive metrics.
It is a rare Monday afternoon game, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch on Brewers TV or listen on the Brewers Radio Network.
