The St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers Series Preview discusses the probable pitchers, top performers to watch, other news and notes, and my prediction for the Cardinals’ record in this four-game series.
Starting Monday, September 18, and ending Thursday, September 21, the St. Louis Cardinals face the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. These two teams last played in May, and the Cardinals won two out of three games.
The Milwaukee Brewers are in charge of the National League Central by six-and-a-half games over the Chicago Cubs. They have a record of seven wins and three losses in their last ten games.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers Series Preview (9/18 – 9/21)
Probable Pitchers
Monday: Adam Wainwright (4-11, 7.95 ERA) vs. Freddy Peralta (12-9, 3.79 ERA)- 6:45 PM CDT
Veteran Adam Wainwright achieved his 199th career win this week against the Baltimore Orioles. It’s been a long time since his last win on June 17 against the New York Mets. After striking out three batters, Wainwright upped his strikeouts per nine innings to 4.98.
27-year-old Freddy Peralta is in the midst of another great season. He’s already thrown a career-high 156.2 innings, set a new career-high for wins (12), and has allowed a career-best 3.10 bases on balls per nine innings.
Peralta faced the Cardinals on May 15. He allowed six earned runs across five and one-third innings while striking out four and walking five. Peralta has been much better in August and September, so don’t expect a repeat performance to happen.
Tuesday: Drew Rom (1-2, 5.96 ERA) vs. Adrian Houser (6-4, 4.53 ERA)- 6:15 PM CDT
Rookie Drew Rom is coming off his best start in Major League Baseball. He pitched five and one third shutout innings and earned his first MLB win. Rom struck out seven batters, while allowing two hits and three walks.
This one had to feel nice for Rom as it came against his former team, the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles drafted the lefty in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Read all about Rom in the St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Check-In.
Adrian Houser is coming off another season with multiple stints on the injured list. According to Spotrac, in 2022, Houser missed 64 days due to elbow and groin injuries. This season, he has missed 57 games due to the same groin injury and an arm injury.
Wednesday: Zack Thompson (5-6, 4.34 ERA) vs. Wade Miley (8-4, 3.38 ERA)- 6:45 PM CDT
Lefty Zack Thompson allowed four earned runs across five innings. He struck out five batters, allowing four hits (one home run) and two walks. This is the second straight game that Thompson left before the sixth inning. He is now averaging 10.13 strikeouts per nine innings.
Wade Miley is having one of his best seasons in his 13-year career. His ERA (3.38) is his third-best out of nine seasons with at least 100 innings pitched. Miley, however, is averaging the fewest strikeouts per nine (5.76) in this same group of seasons.
The left-hander pitched against the Cardinals on May 16. He threw just one and two-thirds innings before leaving due to a back injury. After the game, the Brewers placed Miley on the IL, and he missed the next 32 days. Since then, he has a 3.19 ERA across 13 starts.
Thursday: Miles Mikolas (7-12, 4.84 ERA) vs. Corbin Burnes (9-8, 3.56 ERA)- 12:15 PM CDT
After signing a contract extension this past offseason for $55.75M over three years, Miles Mikolas is having one of, if not the worst, season of his career. His ERA (4.84), K/9 (5.82), and batting average against (.279) are all the worst of his career.
Mikolas has struck out just two batters in his last four games. Even in the one before that, he struck out just three over six innings. Mikolas has also allowed six home runs over his previous three games.
Corbin Burnes is having a down year, as well. However, a down year for Burnes is a 3.56 ERA and 9.26 K/9. Burnes last pitched against the Cardinals on May 17. He allowed three runs and struck out seven batters over six innings.
Top Performers to Watch
Rookie phenom Jordan Walker is arguably the most exciting St. Louis Cardinal. His strong play down the stretch offers fans a glimpse into the team’s future. Since September 1, Walker is slashing .306/.364/.531 with ten runs and seven RBI in 13 games.
Start third baseman Nolan Arenado got four hits (all singles) in 12 at-bats versus the Philadelphia Phillies. Arenado drove in three RBI and earned two bases on balls.
2022 MVP Paul Goldschmidt was his typical self this weekend against the Phillies. He recorded four hits in 12 at-bats with two bases on balls. Goldschmidt scored two runs and four RBI in this series.
Opposing Players to Watch
Outfielder Tyrone Taylor snapped a seven-game hitting streak after failing to get a hit in four at-bats on Sunday. However, he slashed .429/.429/.786 in those seven games with seven runs and seven RBI. There’s an excellent opportunity he swats an extra-base hit or two in this four-game series.
The New York Yankees waived third baseman and the 2015 MVP, Josh Donaldson on August 29. The Brewers signed him to a minor league contract on August 31, and promoted him to the MLB roster on September 11.
Since then, Donaldson has had five hits in 20 at-bats, two runs, three RBI, five bases on balls, and five strikeouts. In his six games and 25 plate appearances, Donaldson has split time between third base and designated hitter.
Other News and Notes
Wainwright looks to become the third pitcher in St. Louis Cardinals history to have earned 200 wins with the team. The two above him are Hall-of-Famers Jesse Haines (210) and Bob Gibson (251). All three pitchers spent their entire MLB careers in St. Louis.
The Cardinals placed Tyler O’Neill on the ten-day injured list with a sprained right foot. With rumors of O’Neill being a likely trade candidate this season, he may have played his final game as a member of the Cardinals. If so, he will have finished his Cardinals career with a .248/.318/.458 slash line, 78 home runs, 239 runs, and 217 RBI in 477 games.
Projected St. Louis Cardinals Record This Series: 2-2
These two teams are tied with three wins apiece against each other this season. I predict they will split this series evenly, and both finish with five wins and five losses against each other.
I’m picking the Cardinals to win games one and three. Wainwright will get his 200th career win, and fans will go crazy. Mikolas will struggle on Thursday, along with the offense against Burnes.
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