Cardinals at Brewers
Manny Pina has been heating up of late and aims to continue his torrid play when the Milwaukee Brewers host the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday for the middle contest of their three-game set. The 30-year-old Venezuelan recorded an RBI double to cap a three-run first inning in Tuesday's series-opening 3-2 victory, improving to 9-for-23 with a homer, three RBIs and as many runs scored in his last seven games.
Pina has clobbered the Cardinals this season, going 10-for-22 with a homer and four RBIs. While Milwaukee has won seven of 12 contests versus St. Louis, it has emerged victorious in just four of its last 15 overall and sits 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Kolten Wong has rebounded from an 0-for-11 stretch by going 3-for-8 with a run scored in his last two contests for the Cardinals, who fell for just the third time in eight contests and trail the Cubs by 5 1/2 games. Tommy Pham matched Wong with a pair of hits in the opener to improve to 10-for-26 with six runs scored in his last eight contests.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Luke Weaver (0-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. Brewers LH Brent Suter (2-1, 2.40)
Weaver was done in by a grand slam from J.D. Martinez during a five-inning stint against Arizona on Thursday. "They got the right hitter there in that moment and I just elevated it a little too high and he got a good swing on it," the 23-year-old told reporters of the blast. Weaver is slated to make his second spot start in place of the injured Adam Wainwright (back), with the latter expected to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday.
Suter authored his finest performance of the season on Friday, scattering four hits over a career-high seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 triumph over Chicago. The 27-year-old has posted a 2-0 record with a 1.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts in five starts since being inserted into the rotation on July 3 to replace the injured Chase Anderson (oblique). Suter recorded four scoreless innings of relief versus the Cardinals in April before permitting three runs on five hits over 4 2/3 frames in a 6-0 setback against St. Louis on June 13.
WALK-OFFS
1. St. Louis SS Paul DeJong has gone 1-for-13 over his last four contests following a seven-game hitting streak.
2. Milwaukee RHP Jeremy Jeffress, who was acquired Monday from Texas, is expected to join the team on Wednesday.
3. Cardinals 3B Jedd Gyorko is 0-for-11 with four strikeouts in his last three games and is hitless in six of the last seven.