Tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET, the Milwaukee Brewers (60-49) and St. Louis Cardinals (57-50) open up a three-game set live from Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The game can be live streamed here. St. Louis fans can hear all the action on KMOX 1120 while Milwaukee fans can do the same on WTMJ 620.
After both teams made some moves at the MLB non-waiver trade deadline on Thursday, Milwaukee continues a six-game road trip after dropping two of three to the Rays in Tampa Bay while the Cardinals open up a six-game homestand after going 3-3 on a six-game road swing.
This series has huge implications on the National League Central race as the Brewers own a two-game lead over the Cardinals entering play. The Cards own a wild-card spot heading into Friday.
Wily Peralta (12-6, 3.56 ERA) mans the mound for Milwaukee while St. Louis counters with Adam Wainwright, who is tied for the MLB lead with 13 wins and has five losses to go along with a 1.92 ERA that ranks second in the NL.
The Brewers are 7-6 since the All-Star break, and with the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates nipping at their heels, Milwaukee knows the time is now to turn things around.
"It is important now, because we need to get back on that right track," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke told MLB.com. "If we don't, in a month and a half, it may not matter. That's why they are all important."
The Brewers oppose Wainwright, who held the Chicago Cubs to five hits over seven scoreless innings and was rewarded with an at-bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh last time out.
"It's all about pitching at that point," Cards manager Mike Matheny said per MLB.com. "We were having a hard time getting something going offensively, and we could roll the dice. ... We've got one of the best pitchers in the league on the mound. And to me, especially where his pitch count was, I want him going back out there to throw."
Wainwright has been a workhorse, tying for third in the NL with 149.2 innings pitched and tied for second in the league with three complete games.
The Cardinals enter with a lineup that has been powered by Matt Adams, who ranks third in the NL with a .314 batting average to go along with 12 homers and 47 RBI. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta leads the team in homers (14) while outfielder Matt Holliday paces it in RBI (55).
The Brewers counter with a lineup that is flanked by catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who is hitting a team-best .306 with 12 homers and 50 RBI and is second in the NL with 34 doubles. Outfielder Ryan Braun leads the team with 61 RBI and is tied for fourth in the NL with six triples while first baseman Mark Reynolds leads the team with 18 homers.
Two NL Central rivals battle when the Brewers and Cardinals kick off a pivotal three-game set live from Busch Stadium tonight in St. Louis.
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