Brewers out to extend dominant stretch vs. struggling Cardinals

Milwaukee right-hander Freddy Peralta will look to bounce back from both a poor start and a suspension when the Brewers host the struggling St. Louis Cardinals in the third game of a four-game series on Saturday night.

Peralta (3-1, 3.49 ERA) is coming off a five-game suspension levied after he hit Tampa Bay's hitting Jose Siri with a pitch in a game April 30.

Right-hander Kyle Gibson (2-2, 3.68 ERA) will get the nod Saturday for the Cardinals, who have lost six straight games and eight of their past nine.

Milwaukee won 11-2 on Friday night behind left-hander Robert Gasser, who tossed six scoreless innings in his big-league debut. Gasser, acquired in the 2022 deal at the trade deadline that sent All-Star closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres, allowed just two hits, striking out four with no walks and one hit batter.

The Brewers broke the game open with five runs in the fifth inning for a 7-0 lead, then added four more in the seventh. Cardinals starter Lance Lynn allowed five runs, four earned, in 4 2/3 innings.

St. Louis is in last place in the National League Central, eight games behind the front-running Brewers. Milwaukee has won 10 of the past 11 vs. the Cardinals, including seven straight, matching the Brewers' all-time high for consecutive wins against St. Louis.

In dropping the first two games of the series, the Cardinals have just three runs on 11 hits, stranding 14 runners.

"We're not hitting, that's the bottom line," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said after Friday's game. "We scored our first run in the seventh and then the one homer. At the end of the day, we're not putting up enough runs. We're not stringing together quality at-bats. Some guys are trying to do too much. It's been a struggle."

Slumping Paul Goldschmidt started for the first time since Tuesday but went hitless in four at-bats, extending his longest in-season hitless streak to 0-for-28.

Peralta made one start before dropping the appeal of his suspension but gave up three runs in five innings, matching his career high with six walks, in a 5-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

"[Command] wasn't that bad, but I walked a lot of people today. It shouldn't have happened," Peralta told MLB.com after that start. "I have to be better than that."

Peralta is 3-6 with a 5.32 ERA in 16 career games (12 starts) against the Cardinals. He tossed six scoreless innings in his only appearance this season vs. St. Louis, but did not get the decision in Milwaukee's 2-1, 10-inning win on April 19.

William Contreras has reached based in 18 consecutive games for the Brewers, hitting .324 (22-for-68) over that span with seven doubles, a homer and 10 RBIs.

Gibson allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings in his last start but did not get the decision in a 4-3 loss to the Mets on Monday. Gibson has gone at least six innings in each of his seven starts.

After allowing five homers in his first three starts, he has given up just one over his past four games.

Gibson is 1-2 with a 4.97 ERA and 39 strikeouts in nine career starts against the Brewers.

--Field Level Media