Cardinals at Brewers
Shortstop Paul DeJong looks to continue his red-hot start with the bat when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night for the middle contest of a three-game series. DeJong belted a three-run homer for his third blast in two days as the Cardinals knocked off Milwaukee 8-4 on Monday afternoon for their second straight win after starting the season with two setbacks.
DeJong, who hit .285 with 25 homers and 65 RBIs in his first full season in the majors last season, launched a pair of solo homers in Sunday’s win over the New York Mets and is 7-for-15 with four runs scored in the early going. Chase Anderson, who was outstanding in the season opener last week for Milwaukee, will try to cool off DeJong while Jack Flaherty makes his season debut for St. Louis. The Brewers swept three games at San Diego to start the season before suffering the loss in the franchise’s 50th home opener Monday despite hitting three homers. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain, a major free-agent signing in the offseason, hit one of the blasts and is off to a scorching start with the bat while going 9-for-18 with four RBIs, three steals and no strikeouts.
TV: 7:40 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Jack Flaherty (2017: 0-2, 6.33 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Chase Anderson (0-0, 0.00)
Flaherty was recalled to take the spot on the roster of Adam Wainwright after the two-time 20-game winner went on the disabled list before the season with a hamstring injury. The 22-year-old Californian went 14-4 with a 2.18 ERA in 25 starts at Triple-A and Double-A combined last season before struggling in six appearances (five starts) with the Cardinals. Flaherty gave up four runs on five hits in five innings to lose against Milwaukee on Oct. 1.
Anderson threw the ball well last Thursday while allowing one hit over six scoreless innings with six strikeouts and three walks in 97 pitches, but did not get a decision in a 2-1 win. The 30-year-old Texas native is coming off his best of four major-league seasons when he went 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA after going 5-1 in the last seven starts. Marcell Ozuna is 6-for-14 with a double against Anderson, who went 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA in four starts against the Cardinals last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. St. Louis C Yadier Molina is 5-for-16 with two homers to start the season and has hit safely in nine straight games against the Brewers.
2. Milwaukee LF Ryan Braun is 1-for-12 to start the season but leads the team with five RBIs - three coming on a homer Friday.
3. Cardinals 3B Jedd Gyorko went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI Monday before leaving the game with a right hamstring strain.