Preview: Brewers at Cardinals (Game 2)

[June 13, 2017]  Gracenote

The Milwaukee Brewers are just two games over .500 but still sit atop the National League Central. The St. Louis Cardinals are used to being on top in the division and will try to chip away at their deficit when they host the Brewers for a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday to kick off a four-game series.

Milwaukee entered the week as the only team in the NL Central with a winning record despite opening a seven-game road trip by dropping two of three at Arizona. The Brewers' success this season is a surprise to some but not St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, who praised Milwaukee when given the chance. "They're a good team," Matheny told reporters of the Brewers. "They have some pop. They're a dangerous club. They've got guys all the way through the lineup that can hurt you in a hurry and they have some pitching that has come around and a bullpen that's filled holes, and they're playing with confidence." The Cardinals dropped seven straight prior to the weekend but got back on track with a three-game sweep of Philadelphia to start a seven-game homestand.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Paolo Espino (0-0, 5.63 ERA) vs. Cardinals LH Marco Gonzales (2015: 0-0, 13.50)

Espino is making his third major-league start and is looking to complete more than four innings for the first time. The 30-year-old was reached for a pair of home run in four innings against San Francisco on Thursday but limited the damage to three runs. Espino was 4-1 with a 3.26 ERA in nine starts for Triple-A Colorado Springs before being recalled.

Gonzales is making his first major-league appearance since 2015 after missing all of 2016 following Tommy John surgery and beginning the season with Triple-A Memphis. The 25-year-old was 4-2 with a 4.82 ERA in 11 games - six starts - prior to the injury. Gonzales is 1-3 with a 3.26 ERA in five starts with Memphis in 2017.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals C Yadier Molina (back) missed the last three games but is expected to start one of the games on Tuesday.

2. Milwaukee's top prospect OF Lewis Brinson made his major-league debut on Sunday and went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks and a stolen base.

3. St. Louis claimed LHP Sean Gilmartin off waivers from the New York Mets on Sunday and assigned him to Triple-A Memphis.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 11, Brewers 10

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