Busch Stadium is the setting Tuesday for the second half of a doubleheader between the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, a matchup between the National League Central’s runaway leaders and a Cardinals club that has quietly overperformed expectations this season. Milwaukee arrives at 56-33 and holds a commanding six-game lead over second-place Chicago, while St. Louis sits at 47-41, seven-and-a-half games back but still firmly in the mix for a wild card spot.
The Betting Market’s Read
Milwaukee has been priced as a favorite for much of this stretch given its dominant season-long form, though the Cardinals have shown they can hang with the Brewers when their rotation is right. With Milwaukee’s ace on the mound in the earlier game of the twin bill, oddsmakers have generally installed the Brewers as the more consistent side across this doubleheader, but St. Louis’ recent surge has kept the numbers tighter than the standings alone would suggest.
Misiorowski’s Brilliance Headlines a Doubleheader With Postseason Stakes
Jacob Misiorowski has been nothing short of dominant for Milwaukee this season, sitting at 9-4 with an eye-popping 1.47 ERA and 156 strikeouts across 104 innings pitched. His 0.78 WHIP ranks among the best marks in all of baseball, and his presence at the top of Milwaukee’s rotation has been a driving force behind the Brewers’ six-game cushion in the division. Dustin May counters for St. Louis, and his season has been a genuine reclamation story — after signing a one-year deal in the offseason, May has turned in a 5-6 record with a 4.80 ERA overall, but has been considerably better of late, posting a 3.75 ERA and an impressive 75-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his past dozen starts.
Christian Yelich remains a steadying presence in Milwaukee’s lineup from the designated hitter spot, providing consistent on-base skills and thump in the middle of an order that ranks among the National League’s best. The Brewers have built their season on a balance of strong starting pitching and a deep, professional lineup that rarely beats itself, a formula that has made Milwaukee one of the most difficult outs in the league night in and night out.
St. Louis has been buoyed by May’s turnaround, and the front office is reportedly fielding calls about his availability ahead of the trade deadline given how valuable he’s become as a mid-rotation arm. That trade speculation adds an extra layer of intrigue to Tuesday’s start, as scouts around the league will be watching closely to see whether May’s recent form against a stacked Milwaukee lineup was legitimate progress or matchup-dependent. The Cardinals have played better than anticipated overall, sitting above .500 more than halfway through the season, a testament to underrated pitching depth and timely offensive production.
Milwaukee’s rotation depth extends well beyond Misiorowski, giving manager Pat Murphy the luxury of matching up favorably in nearly every series the Brewers play. That depth, combined with a bullpen that has been reliable in high-leverage spots, has made Milwaukee remarkably difficult to sweep even when an opponent’s ace is on the mound, as May will be in this particular matchup. Murphy, the reigning two-time National League Manager of the Year, has built a culture in Milwaukee that emphasizes situational execution over star power, and it’s paid off with the best record in the National League.
This second game of the doubleheader also carries some scheduling wrinkles worth noting. Both bullpens will have already been used earlier in the day during the first game, meaning fresher arms could be harder to come by than usual if either starter struggles to work deep into the contest. That dynamic could push both managers toward quicker hooks than they’d otherwise prefer, adding some unpredictability to how the middle innings play out.
Other Game Picks
The bigger picture here is straightforward: Milwaukee has separated itself from the pack in the NL Central and is playing with the kind of margin that allows the front office to be patient and calculated as the trade deadline approaches. St. Louis, on the other hand, needs every win it can find to stay in the wild card conversation, making May’s turnaround start all the more important for a club trying to punch above its preseason expectations.
Prediction and Best Bet
Misiorowski’s dominance gives Milwaukee a clear advantage on paper, but May’s recent form makes this a tighter spot than the standings alone would suggest, with St. Louis capable of hanging around if its offense can generate some early traffic against an ace who has occasionally worked around soft contact rather than swing-and-miss dominance in his outings.
- Prediction: Brewers 4, Cardinals 2
- Best Bet: Brewers on the moneyline
Misiorowski’s elite strikeout stuff and Milwaukee’s overall depth make the Brewers the safer side, even against a Cardinals pitcher who has quietly turned his season around. Bettors should check the MLB odds page for the latest numbers, and those new to wagering can review our MLB betting guide for the basics. Anyone opening a new account for tonight’s card can also check the latest DraftKings promo code offer.
The smartest 5 minutes in betting
Get the week's best offers, line moves, and data-driven picks — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Join 240,000+ subscribers. 21+ only.
