St. Louis @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 29, 2012 ) Milwaukee 3, St. Louis 2

The Milwaukee Brewers begin a week of important games when they host the St. Louis Cardinals in Monday’s opener of a three-game set. The defending National League Central champions are eight games behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds, and getting back into the race may hinge on a successful week that includes three games against the third-place Cardinals and a weekend three-game home series against the Reds. St. Louis was just swept by Cincinnati.

First baseman Lance Berkman returned from a knee injury over the weekend and the Cardinals hope he will spruce up the offensive attack. Berkman went 0-for-3 while batting fifth Sunday in his first start since being injured in mid-May. The Cardinals scored just seven runs while being swept in Cincinnati despite catcher Yadier Molina going 6-for-12 with two home runs. Molina has a career-best 15 homers. Brewers slugger Ryan Braun hit his 16th career homer against the Cardinals earlier this season and leads the National League with 26.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Midwest (Cardinals), Fox Sports Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (11-4, 3.41 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Michael Fiers (3-3, 2.31)

Lynn threw six innings of four-hit shutout ball to beat the Colorado Rockies in his last outing after enduring his roughest stretch of the season. Lynn went 0-2 during a three-start span in which he allowed 17 runs and 25 hits in 15 1/3 innings. He beat Milwaukee on April 8, when he allowed one run and two hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Fiers lost his last start to the Miami Marlins despite giving up just two runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings. He didn’t allow a run in either of his previous two starts and has fanned 26 batters over his last three turns. Fiers has never faced St. Louis.

WALK-OFFS

1. St. Louis has a 4-2 edge over Milwaukee this season, taking two of three both times the teams met.

2. Brewers OF Corey Hart is batting .300 with three homers in 20 at-bats against the Cardinals this season and homered off Lynn in April.

3. Cardinals OF Matt Holliday has a 14-game hitting streak, the longest by a St. Louis player this season.