The Milwaukee Brewers are looking to clinch the NL Central and finish out their season at home as they kick off the final homestand of the regular season against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.
St. Louis Cardinals Eliminated From Playoffs
With a loss earlier this week against the Brewers, the Cardinals were officially eliminated from playoff contention. At this point, the Cardinals are just playing baseball for no important reason other than to finish out the season.
This is unusual to see from the Cards seeing as they won the NL Central just last season, and are now sitting in dead last in the same division.
The 68-88 Cardinals are coming off a series loss against the San Diego Padres, even after snapping the Padres’ 8-game winning streak in 11 innings on Saturday. St. Louis recently placed catcher Willon Contreras (left wrist tendinitis) and third baseman Nolan Arenado (lower back spasms) on the 10-day injured list, and Dylan Carlson was put on the 60-day.
Milwaukee Brewers looking to claim NL Central Title
Even after a series loss against the Miami Marlins, the Milwaukee Brewers’ magic number is stuck at one to clinch the NL Central division title and they’ll have to do it at home in their final homestand.
Players in Carlos Santana and Christian Yelich both had good weekends against the Marlins, hitting some milestone numbers, while pitching seemed to be a bit of a struggle on Saturday and Sunday for the crew.
The bullpen however, continues to shine for the crew, being a huge reason behind why the Brewers will clinch the NL Central title. With names like Hoby Milner, Elvis Peguero and even Abner Uribe all coming out of the woodwork and being lights out pitchers, Milwaukee has a good bullpen crew behind them to keep the lead late in the game
Potential Pitching Matchups
TUESDAY, SEPT 26: RHP Adrian Houser (7-4, 4.35 ERA) v LHP Zack Thompson (5-7, 4.57 ERA)
The last start from Adrian Houser came on Sept. 20 against the Cardinals where he went six innings allowing one run, four hits, and struck out four. He was able to secure the win over the Cards. Since returning from his elbow injury, he’s only allowed four total runs in his three starts.
Zack Thompson has become one of the better pitchers for St. Louis, even though he’s posting a 4.57 ERA in just eight starts. Thompson has also given up 15 earned runs in away starts this season, so hopefully the Brewers can capitalize on that. In his last start against the Brewers on Wednesday, he gave up four runs on five hits, including a three-run blast by Josh Donaldson and a solo shot by Tyrone Taylor.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27: Wade Miley (9-4, 3.20 ERA) v Miles Mikolas (7-13, 4.95 ERA)
In his last start against the Cards, Wade Miley was able to earn the shutout win, throwing six shutout innings with seven strikeouts in a 6-0 victory. With Miley on the mound, his 3.20 ERA and ability to limit the amount of runs he gives up puts the Brewers in a good spot to secure the win.
Miles Mikolas allowed five earned runs on nine hits and one walk over five innings of work against the Brewers, including a three-run home run by Victor Caratini. It marked Mikolas’ eighth straight start allowing three or more runs, giving him an ERA of 7.24 over that span.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 28: Corbin Burnes (10-8, 3.46 ERA) v Dakota Hudson (6-2, 4.95 ERA)
Corbin Burnes was on the mound for Milwaukee as they dominated the Miami Marlins in a 16-1 victory on Friday night. Burnes allowed two hits and walks over five scoreless innings, striking out six. He will make his last regular season start on Thursday, then will have four days’ rest compared to the normal five as he’ll likely start Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Oct. 3.
Dakota Hudson allowed just two runs on nine hits, while striking out six in his last start against the San Diego Padres on Friday. One can only hope that the Brewers will be able to score some runs against Hudson as well in the series finale.
I’m predicting that the Brewers can come out on top, win Tuesday’s game and clinch the NL Central title and get a sweep over the Cardinals before the Cubs come into town on Friday.
The Cardinals and Brewers are gearing up for their final series showdown. Get a comprehensive preview of what to expect and stay in the loop with all Brewers-related updates by heading to our Milwaukee Brewers News section. Catch every pitch, hit, and moment with us!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the St Louis Cardinals biggest rivalry?
The St. Louis Cardinals' biggest rivalry is with the Chicago Cubs. This intense rivalry has spanned over 130 years, starting in 1892, and has been marked by hostility and competition between the two teams, especially at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The Cardinals and Cubs share a geographical proximity of just 300 miles, adding to the intensity of their matchup.
Are the St Louis Cardinals the best team in baseball?
The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most successful and historic teams in baseball. With 11 World Series championships and 19 National League pennants, they have a strong claim as one of the best teams in the sport's history.