Cardinals' Offense Sputters as Mikolas Faces Brewers' Hall

The St. Louis Cardinals (9-11) will host the Milwaukee Brewers (12-6) at Busch Stadium on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 2:15 PM ET. The Cardinals have been mired in an offensive slump, scoring over 3 runs just once in their last 12 games. Miles Mikolas (1-2, 5.82 ERA) will take the mound for the Cardinals, while the Brewers will counter with D.L. Hall (0-1, 7.11 ERA).

In the series opener on Friday night, the Brewers edged the Cardinals 2-1 in a 10-inning pitchers' duel. Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings for Milwaukee, while Kyle Gibson allowed one run over six frames for St. Louis. William Contreras drove in the go-ahead run for the Brewers in the 10th inning, and Hoby Milner recorded his first career save.

The Cardinals' lineup has been struggling mightily, ranking 25th in MLB with an average of just 3.7 runs per game. Center field has been a particularly weak spot, as Cardinals center fielders have posted the lowest OPS (.261) in the majors. In an effort to energize the offense, the team has considered keeping rookie catcher Ivan Herrera's bat in the lineup by having him or Willson Contreras serve as the designated hitter.

Why this matters: The Cardinals' offensive woes have hindered their ability to keep pace in the competitive NL Central division. As they face the first-place Brewers, who have several key players on the injured list, the Cardinals need to find a way to generate more runs and take advantage of this opportunity to gain ground in the standings.

Despite the offensive struggles, there have been some bright spots for the Cardinals. Willson Contreras extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games on Friday night. However, the team left 12 runners on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, highlighting their inability to capitalize on scoring chances. As Miles Mikolas takes the mound on Saturday, he will need to deliver a strong performance to give the Cardinals' sputtering offense a chance to break out against the Brewers' D.L. Hall.

Key Takeaways

• Cardinals (9-11) host Brewers (12-6) on 4/20/24; Cardinals' offense struggling.
• Mikolas (1-2, 5.82 ERA) vs. Hall (0-1, 7.11 ERA) in the matchup.
• Brewers edged Cardinals 2-1 in 10 innings in series opener.
• Cardinals' center fielders have MLB's lowest OPS (.261); considering DH options.
• Cardinals need to generate more runs against injury-plagued Brewers to gain ground.