The St. Louis Cardinals (36-32) are set to clash with the Milwaukee Brewers (36-33) for the first game of a four-game series on Thursday at 7:40 p.m. ET, taking place at American Family Field. As the season progresses, the Cardinals currently lead the season series against the Brewers 2-1.
After a tough series against the Toronto Blue Jays where they were swept, losing 5-2 in the final game, the Cardinals will look to regroup. Their pitching struggled throughout the series, but first baseman Willson Contreras stood out, going 2-for-3 with an RBI in the last game. Notably, he has hit safely in nine of his last ten games this month, boasting two home runs and 13 RBIs during that span.
The Brewers, meanwhile, are coming off a 6-2 defeat against the Atlanta Braves, which marked a disappointing end to a 2-4 homestand. Rhys Hoskins did manage to hit his 10th home run of the season, but he is currently hitting just .152, having struck out 12 times in 33 at-bats this June.
In terms of pitching matchups, the Cardinals will be led by right-hander Sonny Gray, who boasts a strong 7-1 record and a 3.35 ERA over 14 starts. His most recent outing was a stellar performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he threw 6 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run. In contrast, the Brewers are set to debut right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who had an impressive minor league season with a 2.13 ERA and a remarkable 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He recently earned a win with no earned runs in his last start with Triple-A Nashville.
The odds from BetMGM indicate that the Cardinals are favored at -135, while the Brewers sit at +110. The run line shows the Cardinals at -1.5 with a +125 payout and the Brewers at +1.5 at -150. The over/under for the game is set at 7.5 runs.
Experts predict a closely contested match, forecasting the Cardinals to narrowly edge out the Brewers with a final score of 5-4. While Gray is expected to continue his solid form, Misiorowski’s excitement among fans could lead to a tightly fought initial outing for the rookie pitcher.
This matchup presents not just pivotal stakes in terms of standings but also an opportunity for both teams to regain momentum. Fans can look forward to seeing how both starting pitchers perform as the season continues to unfold.