Cardinals have chance to close gap on struggling Brewers

Baseball Betting Lines

08/14/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers will play the first of three games against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals this evening at Miller Park.

Milwaukee is just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs and 5 1/2 in front of the Cardinals in the NL Central standings. The club has struggled a bit as of late, having lost five of seven contests.

In Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros in the finale of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park, Geoff Jenkins belted a pair of home runs and J.J. Hardy added a solo shot for the Brewers, who did win the first two games of the set.

Starting pitcher Claudio Vargas gave up two runs on five hits in six innings of work, while Carlos Villanueva suffered the loss in relief after allowing three runs in the eighth.

The Brewers will send struggling starter Chris Capuano to the mound on Tuesday. The lefty hasn't won since pitching eight shutout innings on May 7 against the Washington Nationals.

Capuano, who is 0-9 with a 6.33 ERA in his last 14 starts, absorbed the loss in his previous start on August 7 against the Colorado Rockies. He was reached for four runs in five innings of an 11-4 setback at Coors Field.

Capuano owns a 4-4 record with a 5.20 earned run average in 11 career outings against St. Louis. He is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals this season.

St. Louis has won two in a row and four of its last five games, including Sunday's 12-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the rubber match of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

Ryan Ludwick hit a three-run homer and finished with four runs batted in to lead the defending World Series champions. Brendan Ryan, who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis prior to the game, went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and three RBI for the Cardinals, who are also seven games off the top spot in the NL Wild Card race.

St. Louis starter Anthony Reyes pitched six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits for the win. He also struck out five and walked just one while knocking in a run at the plate.

Taking the ball for the Cardinals this evening will be Kip Wells, who is 5-13 with a 5.26 ERA in 25 games (21 starts) this season. Wells is 1-0 over his past three trips to the hill and the Cardinals are 2-1 over that span.

In his past start on Wednesday against San Diego, Wells permitted just one unearned run in seven innings of a 2-1 triumph at Busch Stadium. He is shooting for back-to-back wins for the first time since late last season.

Wells, a right-hander, is 6-8 with a 4.49 ERA in 20 career starts against Milwaukee. However, he is 0-2 with a 7.50 earned run average in three appearances against the Brewers this season.

Milwaukee is 5-4 against the Cardinals this season, including a 3-0 mark at Miller Park. St. Louis, though, has won the last three meetings.

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