Cardinals at Brewers
Mike Leake muddled through a mediocre first season with St. Louis in 2016, but he is showing why the Cardinals shelled out big bucks to bring him in as a free agent in December 2015. The owner of a major National League-low 0.84 ERA, Leake will make his fourth start of the season when visiting St. Louis wraps up a four-game series at the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Leake finished 9-12 with a career-high 4.89 ERA in the first season of his five-year, $75 million contract, but he is giving the Cardinals plenty of bang for their buck through his first three starts. Opposing Leake would be a difficult task for any pitcher, but especially so for Milwaukee right-hander Jimmy Nelson as he prepares to face his biggest nemesis. Nelson is winless in nine appearances (eight starts) versus St. Louis with an 0-7 record and bloated 7.34 ERA. St. Louis has won five of six following its 3-9 start and extended its home run streak at Miller Park to a staggering 24 games on Aledmys Díaz's pinch-hit blast in Saturday's 4-1 victory, the Brewers' fourth defeat in five contests.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Mike Leake (2-1, 0.84 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jimmy Nelson (1-0, 4.42)
From the how-good-has-he-been department: Leake stymied Pittsburgh on one run and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings Tuesday and saw his ERA rise from 0.60 to 0.84. The 29-year-old was brilliant in his previous outing as well, tossing seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball while striking out seven and not walking a batter. Leake has held Milwaukee's Ryan Braun (5-for-25) in check, but he must be wary of Jonathan Villar (4-for-7).
Nelson's season got off to a promising start when he pitched six innings of one-run ball against the Chicago Cubs and following that up by picking up the win with seven innings of one-run ball at Cincinnati. His rematch with the Cubs on Tuesday was a different story, as he was battered for seven runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter has tormented Nelson, going 8-for-16 with two homers and seven RBIs.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals 2B/3B Jedd Gyorko has scored four times and is 6-for-11 with two doubles, a triple and a homer in the series.
2. The Brewers lead the majors in homers with 33, but had their 13-game streak with at least one blast snapped Saturday.
3. Cardinals CF Dexter Fowler was not in the lineup Saturday after exiting Friday's game due to right heel bursitis.