Brewers vs. – Milwaukee, leading the NL Central at 30-20, hosts the St. Louis Cardinals this week starting Monday afternoon on Memorial Day. The series opens with Jacob Misiorowski against Matthew Liberatore, with Milwaukee pitching matchups stacked behind a strong bullpen—
The Cardinals arrived in a season stretch that already feels like it’s been bent by weather—and now they’re stepping into Milwaukee’s rhythm.
After two rainouts in Cincinnati on Friday and Sunday, St. Louis wrapped around a 1-1 doubleheader on Saturday. Their schedule shifted again after Sunday’s series finale was washed out, pushing their probables back a day. That matters because Milwaukee is rolling into the week with the NL Central lead: 30-20. ahead of the Cardinals by 1.5 games.
Milwaukee, too, has had recent whiplash. The Brewers swept the Cubs earlier in the week, then dropped two of three to the Dodgers over the weekend. Still, they keep finding ways to move forward—especially on the mound.
Monday’s first game, set for May 25 at 1:10 p.m., is built around pitching precision. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (4-2, 1.89 ERA, 2.13 FIP) takes on LHP Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 4.70 ERA, 4.85 FIP). Misiorowski has been dominant in May. and the numbers read like a battering ram: over his last four starts dating back to May 1. he’s totaled 24 1/3 innings with no runs allowed on nine hits and five walks for a 0.575 WHIP. striking out 37—pushing him to the top of MLB’s leaderboard with 88 strikeouts this season.
In his most recent outing. Misiorowski went six scoreless against the Cubs. striking out eight on just 74 pitches in a 5-2 win that came as part of a three-game sweep. Even in his limited history against St. Louis. he’s made it count: in three career starts dating back to last season. he has a 3.95 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings.
For Liberatore, the challenge is sharper. He’s made 10 starts this year, carrying a 4.70 ERA and 4.85 FIP with 43 strikeouts over 51 2/3 innings. His last time out ended in a no-decision: 4 2/3 innings. four runs on seven hits and two walks. with nine strikeouts against the Pirates. Yet Milwaukee will also see why his pedigree still lingers in the background—Liberatore has made 11 career appearances (four starts) against a common opponent. with a 1.26 ERA. 31 strikeouts. and a perfect 4-0 record across those outings.
Injuries are part of the story on both sides. Milwaukee’s injured list is mostly pitchers. Right-handers Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff are shelved, along with lefties Angel Zerpa, Rob Zastryzny, and Jared Koenig. Zastryzny, Koenig, and Woodruff are “pretty close” to returning, while Priester is aiming for a June return. Zerpa is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
On offense, Milwaukee is missing outfielders Akil Baddoo and Brandon Lockridge. Baddoo is rehabbing at Triple-A Nashville, while Lockridge is out until mid- to late June.
St. Louis’ injury list is shorter, but it still hits. Outfielders Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church are both out. Nootbaar is aiming for a June return after double heel surgery and is rehabbing at Triple-A Memphis. Church was placed on the IL with a left shoulder strain over the weekend, with his return listed as TBD. Infielders aren’t spared either: Ramón Urías rounds out the IL with a right elbow injury that has kept him out since May 5. with his return also TBD.
The Brewers may not be fully healthy, but they’ve been building momentum where it counts most: production and pitching.
At home, the lineup has firepower. Jake Bauers and Brice Turang lead Milwaukee’s home run list with seven each. William Contreras has been one of the better hitters over the last month. boosting his season line to .303/.371/.410 with four homers. eight doubles. 30 RBIs. and 28 runs. Christian Yelich. Garrett Mitchell. Sal Frelick. Jackson Chourio. Gary Sánchez. and Andrew Vaughn are regularly in the mix. with Joey Ortiz. David Hamilton. Blake Perkins. and Luis Rengifo rounding things out.
As a team, Milwaukee is hitting .246/.333/.361 with a .694 OPS that ranks tied for 18th. The Brewers have 34 homers (last), 246 runs (eighth), and 54 steals (tied for second).
St. Louis counters with a lineup that’s generating extra-base damage in bulk. Jordan Walker is turning in a career year: 15 homers, 11 doubles, seven steals, and a .302/.372/.594 line through 50 games. Rookie JJ Wetherholt is second on the team with nine homers and is a perfect 6-for-6 on the basepaths. while Alec Burleson has seven homers. Pedro Pagés. Nolan Gorman. Masyn Winn. Victor Scott II. and Iván Herrera round out the regulars. with Bryan Torres. José Fermín. César Prieto. Thomas Saggese. and Yohel Pozo adding depth.
The Cardinals’ team numbers aren’t overpowering—but they’re steady: .242/.323/.393 with a .716 OPS that ranks 11th, 60 homers tied for 10th, 233 runs tied for 11th, and 34 steals tied for 18th.
Then comes the bullpen matchups, which could decide how long Milwaukee’s starters keep being allowed to stay sharp.
Aaron Ashby anchors Milwaukee’s bullpen with a 2.61 ERA and a perfect 8-0 record across 23 appearances, totaling 31 innings with 46 strikeouts. Grant Anderson and DL Hall sit nearby with ERAs below 3.00, while Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill complete the “A” bullpen. Jake Woodford, Shane Drohan, and Carlos Rodriguez provide depth in the innings-eater role. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.31 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.19 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.47 bullpen ERA (10th). They’ve struck out 488 batters over 445 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals bullpen is less reliable so far. Seven players have 23 or more appearances, but the numbers show the strain. Justin Bruihl leads with 25 appearances, yet he has a 5.56 ERA over 22 2/3 innings. Riley O’Brien. JoJo Romero. and Gordon Graceffo are the best of the bunch—O’Brien leads with 13 saves in 17 tries and a 2.96 ERA. Romero has a 2.92 ERA. and Graceffo is at 1.65. George Soriano has a 3.32 ERA over 21 2/3 IP. Ryne Stanek carries a 6.00 ERA over 21 IP. Matt Pushard is at 6.23 ERA over 4 1/3 IP. and Brycen Mautz has no MLB appearances. Mautz was recalled on Sunday to replace Matt Svanson, who was optioned.
As a staff, St. Louis has a 4.20 team ERA (22nd), including a 4.07 starter ERA (13th) and a 4.39 bullpen ERA (21st). The Cardinals have struck out 380 batters (29th) over 462 2/3 innings.
For the rest of the week, the rotation sets up another test of how Milwaukee handles oppositional pressure.
Tuesday, May 26 at 6:40 p.m. features LHP Kyle Harrison (5-1, 1.77 ERA, 2.48 FIP) against RHP Michael McGreevy (3-3, 2.40 ERA, 4.03 FIP). Harrison has made nine starts this season with a sterling 1.77 ERA, 2.48 FIP, and 59 strikeouts over 45 2/3 innings. He’s won each of his last four decisions. and the Brewers have won in each of his last six starts dating back to early April. His last outing was another shutout: seven scoreless against the Cubs. with two hits and a walk allowed and 11 strikeouts at Wrigley.
This will be Harrison’s first career appearance against the Cardinals.
McGreevy, 25, is in his third MLB season with St. Louis after being drafted in the first round out of UC Santa Barbara in 2021. His ERA reads solid. but the 4.03 FIP tells a more complicated story. and his strikeout numbers are part of it—37 strikeouts across 56 1/3 innings. His last start ended in a loss against the Pirates: five innings. three runs on 10 hits and a walk. with just one strikeout.
This will be McGreevy’s first career start against Milwaukee.
Wednesday, May 27 at 12:40 p.m. is listed as TBD versus RHP Dustin May (3-5, 5.00 ERA, 3.90 FIP). The assumption is that the Brewers would go with Logan Henderson in that spot. Henderson has made five starts this season, totaling 23 innings with seven runs allowed, a 2.74 ERA and 2.39 FIP, striking out 30. The 24-year-old righty went five scoreless against the Dodgers in his last outing. allowing three walks and two hits with seven strikeouts.
This would be Henderson’s first career appearance against St. Louis.
May is now with his third team in St. Louis after agreeing to a one-year, $12.5 million contract in the offseason. He has made 10 starts this year with a 5.00 ERA, 3.90 FIP, and 42 strikeouts across 54 innings. His last appearance ended in a loss to the Pirates: four runs on six hits and two walks. striking out seven over 5 1/3 innings.
May’s only career appearance came in 2021 with the Dodgers, when he went 1 2/3 innings, allowing a run on one hit (a solo homer) and a walk, striking out three.
Broadcast-wise, Milwaukee’s games are scheduled to be on Brewers TV, with radio coverage via the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee) on Monday, May 25 and Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27.
The series is positioned like a measuring stick for both teams. Milwaukee is trying to turn its pitching advantage into stability after a weekend slip against the Dodgers. St. Louis is trying to regain its footing after a weather-hit weekend—and do it in a place where the Brewers have been counting on their top arms to carry the load.
Brewers Cardinals Jacob Misiorowski Matthew Liberatore Kyle Harrison Michael McGreevy Dustin May Logan Henderson NL Central injuries bullpen