Preview: Brewers at Cardinals

[April 15, 2015]  The St. Louis Cardinals hope to put a sloppy home-opening loss in the rear-view mirror when they host the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in the second of a three-game series. The Cardinals tied for the best home record in the National League last year but a pair of errors and the inability to hit in the clutch were the key factors in Monday's 5-4 defeat.

St. Louis stranded 12 runners and went 2-of-13 with runners in scoring position Monday. “We’ve had that a few games now and it’s early in the season so I see it turning," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told reporters. "Right now, we’re just kind of fighting to make things happen." The Brewers can relate to that feeling, losing five of six at home before beating St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright. “To come here and play with a vision and beat one of the best pitchers in the game is fun," Milwaukee center fielder Carlos Gomez told reporters. "I think we start from here and play better baseball.”

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Wily Peralta (0-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (0-1, 1.50)

Peralta won a career-high 17 games a year ago and opened this season on a positive note, permitting two runs over seven innings in a 5-4 loss to Colorado. The 25-year-old Dominican has so-so career numbers against the Cardinals, going 4-4 with a 4.33 ERA in nine career starts, but he had his way against them last season. Peralta made five starts against St. Louis in 2014 and went 3-1 with eight earned runs allowed in 33 innings.

A dominant season debut turned into a 2-0 loss when Lynn hit a batter and committed a throwing error, spoiling a six-plus inning stint in which he fanned nine and yielded two hits versus the Chicago Cubs. Lynn, who won a combined 48 games in the previous three seasons, is 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA in 14 appearances (10 starts) against Milwaukuee. He has been tormented by Gerardo Parra, who is 8-for-17 with two homers, two triples and two doubles.

WALK-OFFS

1. Lynn is 12-2 in April since the start of the 2012 season.

2. Brewers RF Ryan Braun is a career .302 in 112 games versus St. Louis.

3. Cardinals SS Jhonny Peralta owns a six-game hitting streak and four-game RBI streak.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 4, Brewers 1

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