St. Louis @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2014 ) St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 3

Adam Wainwright has had an unusually high number of rocky performances since the All-Star break, but he can move into a tie for the most wins in the majors when the St. Louis Cardinals close out a four-game series at the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Wainwright goes for his 17th victory and the Cardinals seek an eighth win in nine games to pad their lead in the National League Central. St. Louis has taken two of three from Milwaukee to open a four-game lead over the Brewers.

Offensive woes continue to plague the Brewers, who have lost 10 of 11 and scored three runs or fewer nine times in that span to relinquish their hold on first place in the division. Saturday's loss dropped Milwaukee into a tie with Atlanta for the second wild card with Pittsburgh sitting just one-half game behind. Doubles machine Jonathan Lucroy has been among the few bright spots during the recent slide, carrying a nine-game hitting streak into Sunday's matchup.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (16-9, 2.69 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jimmy Nelson (2-6, 4.14)

Wainwright ended a two-start losing streak despite surrendering a season-high three home runs in a 6-4 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. It marked the fifth time in nine starts that Wainwright has been touched for at least four runs, including a beating by Milwaukee on Aug. 1 when he was pounded for seven runs in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed six runs in his last seven starts before the All-Star break, including seven innings of two-run ball to win at Milwaukee.

After needing five innings from their bullpen Saturday, the Brewers could use a solid effort from Nelson, who is 0-4 in his last five turns and has not won since Aug. 5. Nelson lost his third straight start at the Chicago Cubs on Monday, giving up three runs over six innings. He has not fared well at home with a 1-4 record and a 5.00 ERA and was pulverized for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in his lone career start versus St. Louis on July 12.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals 1B Matt Adams has eight homers in 22 career starts versus Milwaukee.

2. Lucroy, who leads the majors with 49 doubles, can join Lyle Overbay and Aramis Ramirez as the only Brewers with 50 two-baggers in a season.

3. Cardinals rookie RF Oscar Taveras has seven RBIs in eight games against the Brewers.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Brewers 2