The Milwaukee Brewers are set to wrap up their 10-game homestand this weekend, as they’ll welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to town for a four-game set. It’s a key matchup in the NL Central and NL Wild Card races, as the Brewers and Cardinals are separated by just a half game.
The Brewers have had a sluggish start to June after a hot finish to May, as they’ve lost their last two series to the Padres and Braves for a 2-4 homestand thus far. They sit at 36-33 on the season. The Cardinals, at 36-32, won two of three against the Dodgers over the weekend before being swept by the Blue Jays to begin this week.
The Brewers’ latest injury is Christian Yelich, who missed Tuesday and Wednesday’s games with right wrist swelling, which dates back to a hit by pitch on June 1 and an aggravation during a slide over the weekend. He’s still considered day to day. Brandon Woodruff will likely be back in late June, with Nestor Cortes right behind him around the All-Star break. Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell are also targeting late June returns.
For St. Louis, Brendan Donovan is day to day with toe discomfort, and outfielder Jordan Walker is currently on a rehab assignment after being shelved with wrist inflammation. Pitcher Zack Thompson is the only MLB-level pitcher on the IL, as he’s been out all season with a left lat strain.
Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Rhys Hoskins are atop Milwaukee’s home run leaderboard, as each is in double digits. Sal Frelick leads the squad with a .284 batting average, while William Contreras’ .354 OBP leads the pack. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .235/.313/.361 (.674 OPS ranks 26th), with 62 homers (24th), 299 runs scored (tied for 11th), and 86 steals (second).
Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Lars Nootbaar are tied atop St. Louis’ home run leaderboard with eight each, with the elder Contreras turning things around after a slow start to the season, hitting .256/.335/.417 overall. Iván Herrera has been solid in 36 games this year, hitting .317/.393/.548, and Brendan Donovan’s .310/.379/.440 statline is the best among the regulars. As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .257/.327/.395 (.722 OPS ranks 11th), with 63 homers (tied for 22nd), 316 runs scored (seventh), and 38 steals (tied for 23rd).
Jared Koenig and Abner Uribe are tied with a team-high 32 appearances, just ahead of Grant Anderson (28), Nick Mears (28), and Trevor Megill (26). Uribe’s 1.39 ERA and 42 strikeouts also lead the team, while Megill is 13-for-15 as the team’s closer. As a pitching staff, the Brewers have a 3.86 ERA (15th), including a 3.41 starter ERA (fifth) and a 4.44 reliever ERA (23rd). They’ve struck out 569 batters (tied for 14th) over 611 1⁄3 innings.
Kyle Leahy, Phil Maton, John King, JoJo Romero, and Ryan Helsley headline a solid bullpen, with Steven Matz serving in a long-relief role as he’s gone 37 1⁄3 innings over 19 appearances (two starts). Helsley has blown five saves in what’s been a down year for him, but Leahy (2.48 ERA over 36 1⁄3 innings) and Maton (2.16 ERA over 25 innings) have both been great. As a pitching staff, the Cardinals have a 3.94 ERA (17th), including a 3.95 starter ERA (17th) and a 4.01 reliever ERA (18th). They’ve struck out 480 batters (29th) over 604 2⁄3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Thursday, June 12 @ 6:40 p.m.: Jacob Misiorowski (MLB Debut; 2.13 ERA at Triple-A Nashville) vs. Sonny Gray (3.35 ERA, 3.11 FIP)
Not much has been left unsaid on this site regarding Misiorowski, who is set to make his MLB debut on Thursday. While he’s struggled with control issues throughout his career, he’s looked much better this season, with a career-low walk rate and still strong strikeout numbers. In 13 games (12 starts) with Triple-A Nashville this year, he’s spanned 63 1⁄3 innings with 80 strikeouts, a 2.13 ERA, and a 1.09 WHIP, which is even more impressive when you notice batters are hitting just .175 against him, which is actually the worst mark of his career. His last start came on June 7 against the Gwinnett Stripers, when he allowed no runs on two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over five innings.
Opposing Misiorowski is familiar foe Sonny Gray, making this a must-watch pitching matchup. Gray is 7-1 this season with a 3.35 ERA, 3.11 FIP, and 81 strikeouts over 75 1⁄3 innings. He’s been fantastic in each of his last two starts (against the Rangers and Dodgers), allowing no runs and striking out 15 across 13 1⁄3 innings. The 13-year veteran has made 17 starts against Milwaukee, with a 3.23 ERA and 120 strikeouts over 94 2⁄3 innings. He allowed three runs over six innings with four strikeouts in a no-decision against the Brewers in April.
Friday, June 13 @ 7:10 p.m.: Freddy Peralta (2.69 ERA, 3.89 FIP) vs. Erick Fedde (3.54 ERA, 4.31 FIP)
Peralta, who has dealt with walk issues his entire career, is turning in one of the best seasons of his career, even if the underlying numbers aren’t fantastic. Through 14 starts, he has a 2.69 ERA, 3.89 FIP, and 78 strikeouts over 77 innings. He took a tough-luck no-decision in his last start against the Padres, allowing just one hit and two walks with three strikeouts over six innings in Sunday’s 1-0 loss. He’s made 19 appearances (15 starts) against the Cardinals in his career, with a 4.91 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 80 2⁄3 innings. He made four starts against them in 2024, spanning 22 1⁄3 innings with 20 strikeouts and a 2.42 ERA.
Fedde, 32, has made 13 starts this season, with a 3.54 ERA, 4.31 FIP, and 46 strikeouts over 73 2⁄3 innings. The former National and White Sox went 5 1⁄3 innings in his last start, allowing no runs and striking out two in a no-decision to the Dodgers. He’s made seven appearances (six starts) against the Brewers in his career, with a 5.88 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 33 2⁄3 innings. He went 5 2⁄3 innings against them back in April in his worst start of the year, allowing seven runs on 10 hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Saturday, June 14 @ 3:10 p.m.: José Quintana (2.66 ERA, 4.37 FIP) vs. Andre Pallante (4.75 ERA, 4.75 FIP)
Quintana, 36, has made eight starts this season, sporting a 2.66 ERA, 4.37 FIP, and 31 strikeouts in 44 innings. While the strikeout numbers are way down from early in his career, he’s been effective at working around traffic on the basepaths. In his last start against the Padres, he went five frames, allowing one run on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in a no-decision. The former Cardinal has made 15 career starts against the Redbirds, with a 3.81 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 78 innings. He went five one-run innings against them in a winning effort back in April, striking out six.
Pallante is in his fourth MLB season and second as a primary starter, making 13 starts this year. He’s got a 4.75 ERA, a matching 4.75 FIP, and 47 strikeouts in 72 innings this year. He went six-plus frames in his last start against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts. He’s made 13 appearances (one start) against Milwaukee in his career, sporting a 5.16 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 22 2⁄3 innings. In his lone start, which came last September, he allowed five runs over five innings in a loss.
Sunday, June 15 @ 1:10 p.m.: Quinn Priester (3.65 ERA, 4.21 FIP) vs. Miles Mikolas (4.48 ERA, 3.77 FIP)
Priester, 24, has been solid since coming over earlier this season, with a 3.65 ERA, 4.21 FIP, and 43 strikeouts in 61 2⁄3 innings. After making a pair of tandem “starts” with DL Hall opening for him for multiple innings, he made his first official start since May 24 on Tuesday night against the Braves. He got the win for the third straight time in that one, allowing just one run and scattering seven hits with seven strikeouts over six innings. He’s made one career start against St. Louis (in April of this year), allowing five runs over five innings with two strikeouts in a no-decision.
Mikolas, 36, is in his seventh season with the Cardinals after returning from a stint in Japan. In that time, he has a 4.08 ERA and 3.98 FIP over 1,071 innings, spanning 186 appearances (185 starts). This year, he has a 4.48 ERA, 3.77 FIP, and 38 strikeouts in 66 1⁄3 innings. His last start was a rough one, as he took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits with two strikeouts in just five innings of work. He’s made 19 appearances (18 starts) against Milwaukee in his career, with a 3.87 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 111 2⁄3 innings. He made three starts against the Brewers in 2024, allowing eight runs in 16 2⁄3 innings (4.32 ERA) with 11 strikeouts.
How to Watch
Thursday, June 12: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Friday, June 13: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Saturday, June 14: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers), and nationally televised on FS1; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Sunday, June 15: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, Telemundo Wisconsin, and MLB.TV (out-of-market viewers); listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
I’m expecting this to be a fun series between two teams vying for second place in the NL Central. Depending on who’s playing their best, this could swing either way. With that in mind, I’ll take a series split to wrap up the homestand.
