Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals at Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers (-131)
Series
The Cardinals and Brewers opened up their three-game set at Miller Park in dramatic fashion on Friday. With St. Louis trailing 4-3 in the ninth inning, Nick Stavinoha hit a two-run blast off Milwaukee closer Trevor Hoffman, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-4 win and handing Hoffman his first blown save of 2009.
St. Louis crushed the Brewers 7-1 Saturday. The Cardinals got a big day at the plate from catcher Yadier Molina, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI including a two-run home run. Albert Pujols finished the day 1-for-4 with two RBI, giving him six on the season.
The Cardinals and Brewers split their 18 meetings last year, with the Cardinals winning seven of nine at Miller Park. The Brewers closed out their 2009 regular season with a three-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis, a series in which the two teams combined to score 43 runs.
For the year, the teams averaged a combined 8.3 runs per game when facing each other. They have played under in both games this season.
Pen pals
Hoffman?s hiccup notwithstanding, the bullpen has been a strong point for Milwaukee over the first week of the season, with setup men LaTroy Hawkins and Todd Coffey leading the way.
Going into Saturday?s game, Hawkins and Coffey had combined for six shutout innings, over which they allowed only one hit between them. Claudio Vargas allowed one run in relief Saturday after a rough outing from starter Yovani Gallardo.
Carp is sharp
The Cardinals will send Chris Carpenter to the mound Sunday night for his second start of the season. He allowed two runs in six innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day Monday.
In 2009, Carpenter pitched brilliantly against Milwaukee, going 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his three starts against the Brewers. He pitched especially well at Miller Park, allowing just three hits over 17 innings without yielding a single run.
Milwaukee will counter with newly acquired lefty Randy Wolf, who opened his season with a win over Colorado Tuesday night. In his only 2009 start against the Cardinals, Wolf took the loss, allowing two earned runs over six innings of work. For his career, Wolf is 3-5 against St. Louis with a respectable 3.64 ERA.
Listen to your Hart
It will be interesting to see who gets the start in right field for Milwaukee Sunday. Corey Hart was named the starter coming into the regular season, despite a terrible showing in spring training, but Jim Edmonds has started three of Milwaukee?s first five games in right field.
Brewers manager Ken Macha insists that he went with Edmonds based on the matchups and that there is no platoon, but the situation bears watching. It shouldn?t come as a surprise if Macha goes with the left-handed Edmonds against Carpenter, a righty.
Hart was the Brew Crew?s lone offense in Saturday?s loss. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He?s hitting .286 BA to start the year.
What?s in the Cards?
The St. Louis bullpen struggled mightily in their season-opening series in Cincinnati, posting a 7.11 ERA in three games, but rebounded nicely against the Brewers on Friday with three scoreless innings.
Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte came in for three innings in relief of starter Jaime Garcia Saturday. The two did not allow a hit and had just one walk while striking out two batters.
Holliday cheer
Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday has feasted on Milwaukee pitchers over his career, batting .413 with a lifetime 1.193 OPS, heading into Saturday?s game. Holliday is off to a torrid start this season, batting .474 through Friday?s games. He was 2-for-4 with a strikeout in Saturday?s victory.
Reigning NL MVP Albert Pujols is homerless since going yard twice on Opening Day.
Weather
Sunday?s forecast calls for temperatures around 50 degrees with little wind and no precipitation. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET.
St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers (-131)
Series
The Cardinals and Brewers opened up their three-game set at Miller Park in dramatic fashion on Friday. With St. Louis trailing 4-3 in the ninth inning, Nick Stavinoha hit a two-run blast off Milwaukee closer Trevor Hoffman, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-4 win and handing Hoffman his first blown save of 2009.
St. Louis crushed the Brewers 7-1 Saturday. The Cardinals got a big day at the plate from catcher Yadier Molina, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI including a two-run home run. Albert Pujols finished the day 1-for-4 with two RBI, giving him six on the season.
The Cardinals and Brewers split their 18 meetings last year, with the Cardinals winning seven of nine at Miller Park. The Brewers closed out their 2009 regular season with a three-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis, a series in which the two teams combined to score 43 runs.
For the year, the teams averaged a combined 8.3 runs per game when facing each other. They have played under in both games this season.
Pen pals
Hoffman?s hiccup notwithstanding, the bullpen has been a strong point for Milwaukee over the first week of the season, with setup men LaTroy Hawkins and Todd Coffey leading the way.
Going into Saturday?s game, Hawkins and Coffey had combined for six shutout innings, over which they allowed only one hit between them. Claudio Vargas allowed one run in relief Saturday after a rough outing from starter Yovani Gallardo.
Carp is sharp
The Cardinals will send Chris Carpenter to the mound Sunday night for his second start of the season. He allowed two runs in six innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day Monday.
In 2009, Carpenter pitched brilliantly against Milwaukee, going 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his three starts against the Brewers. He pitched especially well at Miller Park, allowing just three hits over 17 innings without yielding a single run.
Milwaukee will counter with newly acquired lefty Randy Wolf, who opened his season with a win over Colorado Tuesday night. In his only 2009 start against the Cardinals, Wolf took the loss, allowing two earned runs over six innings of work. For his career, Wolf is 3-5 against St. Louis with a respectable 3.64 ERA.
Listen to your Hart
It will be interesting to see who gets the start in right field for Milwaukee Sunday. Corey Hart was named the starter coming into the regular season, despite a terrible showing in spring training, but Jim Edmonds has started three of Milwaukee?s first five games in right field.
Brewers manager Ken Macha insists that he went with Edmonds based on the matchups and that there is no platoon, but the situation bears watching. It shouldn?t come as a surprise if Macha goes with the left-handed Edmonds against Carpenter, a righty.
Hart was the Brew Crew?s lone offense in Saturday?s loss. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He?s hitting .286 BA to start the year.
What?s in the Cards?
The St. Louis bullpen struggled mightily in their season-opening series in Cincinnati, posting a 7.11 ERA in three games, but rebounded nicely against the Brewers on Friday with three scoreless innings.
Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte came in for three innings in relief of starter Jaime Garcia Saturday. The two did not allow a hit and had just one walk while striking out two batters.
Holliday cheer
Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday has feasted on Milwaukee pitchers over his career, batting .413 with a lifetime 1.193 OPS, heading into Saturday?s game. Holliday is off to a torrid start this season, batting .474 through Friday?s games. He was 2-for-4 with a strikeout in Saturday?s victory.
Reigning NL MVP Albert Pujols is homerless since going yard twice on Opening Day.
Weather
Sunday?s forecast calls for temperatures around 50 degrees with little wind and no precipitation. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET.
