Brewers-Cardinals prediction: Picks, odds on Monday, May 15

The Milwaukee Brewers take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of a three-game series on Monday, May 15. First pitch is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium. Freddy Peralta (4-2, 3.32 ERA) will take the mound for the Brewers, and Jack Flaherty (2-4, 6.18 ERA) will pitch for the Cardinals.

The Brewers are -120 moneyline favorites, and the Cardinals come in at +100. The total is set at 8.

Brewers

Out: SP Brandon Woodruff (shoulder), RP Matt Bush (shoulder)

Cardinals

Out: OF Tyler O'Neill (back), SP/RP Jake Woodford (shoulder), RP Packy Naughton (forearm), INF Jose Fermin (quad)

Freddy Peralta vs. Jack Flaherty

Peralta had a good outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his latest start, allowing just one run and striking out five in six innings. He also struck out 10 Rockies earlier in May. After a tough stretch in mid-April, things seem to be fairly settled for Peralta, whose strikeout numbers have been fantastic.

Flaherty had a brutal start to May, giving up 10 earned runs to the Los Angeles Angels over just 2.1 innings. Things settled down a little against the Chicago Cubs in his latest start, but the results still weren't great, with three runs allowed in five innings of work. He walked five – a concerning trend for the righty so far this season – and struck out just three.

The Brewers' bats have been getting hot – they've racked up 18 runs over their last three games – and they should do well against a struggling Flaherty. The Cards have also been trending upwards after sweeping the Boston Red Sox and tallying 21 runs over their last three games. I like where this trend is headed.

Pick: Over 9.5

The Brewers are in first place in the NL Central and the Cards are in last heading into this game. Despite the Cards' recent successes against the Red Sox, Flaherty's May has certainly brought up some concerns, and with the Brewers' offense trending upwards after a hot series against the Kansas City Royals, this could be a blowout on the road for Milwaukee.

Pick: Milwaukee

  
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