The St. Louis Cardinals hope ace Adam Wainwright can be as dominant for their home opener as he was on Opening Night. Wainwright, who threw six scoreless innings to beat the Chicago Cubs in the first game of the season, gets the ball to start a three-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.
St. Louis was a remarkable 51-30 at home last season and looks to pick up where it left off after going 3-2 on a season-opening road trip to Chicago and Cincinnati. "We started off in two cities that don't like us a whole lot," manager Mike Matheny told reporters. "Now we get to go back to a city where everybody loves us." The Brewers limp into St. Louis having lost five of six at home to open the season. Milwaukee's bullpen has been a bright spot, compiling a 2.53 ERA with 24 strikeouts and three walks in 21 1/3 innings, but the starters haven't given the Brewers much.
TV: 4:15 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Matt Garza (0-1, 7.20 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (1-0, 0.00)
Garza was hit hard by the Rockies in his season debut, surrendering four runs and eight hits over five innings. The Cardinals are a familiar foe for Garza, who is in his fifth season pitching the National League Central, and he is 3-3 with a 4.28 ERA in 10 outings against St. Louis. He hasn't had much luck at Busch Stadium, though, going 0-2 with a 6.95 ERA in five career starts.
Wainwright has been terrific at home since the current incarnation of Busch Stadium opened, going 62-35 with a 2.74 ERA in 142 games (111 starts). The 33-year-old is 12-7 with 2.31 ERA in 30 appearances (23 starts) against the Brewers. He has thrown three shutouts and two more complete games in his last seven home starts against Milwaukee.
WALK-OFFS
1. St. Louis SS Jhonny Peralta, who belted a tying two-run homer in the eighth inning of Sunday's 7-5 win at Cincinnati, has hit safely in eight straight games dating to last season and is 13-for-32 with two doubles and a homer versus Garza.
2. Brewers 1B Adam Lind and LF Khris Davis each have reached base safely in all six games this season.
3. Cardinals CF Jon Jay (8-for-13, two doubles, HR) and 1B Matt Adams (7-for-9, two doubles, HR) have also fared well against Garza.