Thankful for break, Cards strive to maintain mojo vs. Brewers

The St. Louis Cardinals received an unscheduled, yet welcome, break Tuesday when their game against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers was postponed due to inclement weather.

St. Louis was in the midst of a 17-game stretch in 17 days.

Instead of playing a doubleheader Wednesday, the teams will play a split doubleheader July 7 when the Brewers are back in St. Louis.

According to MLB.com, the Brewers preferred to make Wednesday a twin bill as their return trip to St. Louis is the week before the All-Star break and is Milwaukee's longest game stretch of the season -- 17 games in 17 days. After some discussion between the teams, it was decided to play the doubleheader in July.

Tuesday's scheduled pitching matchup will carry over to Wednesday, with the Cardinals sending right-hander Andre Pallante (3-2, 3.73 ERA) to the mound to face fellow righty Brandon Sproat (0-2, 6.75).

Pallante is coming off a quality start in the Cardinals' 5-4 win last Wednesday against the Pirates in Pittsburgh: one run, five hits, no walks and six strikeouts in six innings to get credit for the win.

Pallante has thrown at least five innings in each of his six starts. In his fifth season with the Cardinals, he has thrown against the Brewers 15 times, including three starts, and is 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA.

The break allows all of the Cardinals' starters to move back a day, but does slow their momentum as they have won seven of their past eight games.

Manager Oliver Marmol does not see anything changing anytime soon.

"How we are going about our business and our style of play is not going to change," he said. "These guys are extremely prepared. You look at Pittsburgh and then you come home for Friday, Saturday, Sunday games against (the Dodgers) and this place is packed. It is a hyped environment and then you understand there is going to potentially be some weather Monday night, a little more low-key, but these guys came out to play and put it on them."

The rookie Sproat took a 6-2 loss to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks last Wednesday, giving up four runs on six hits (including a pair of home runs) with two walks and five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

Sproat will be facing the Cardinals for the first time.

He is coming off a loss in a game where the Brewers staked him to an early two-run lead. The Diamondbacks scored four in the fourth, however, including a three-run home run by Nolan Arenado.

"Sproat was throwing the ball incredibly for three innings. He was so good," Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said.

The rainout will allow Jacob Misiorowski to get another two days of rest after leaving his last start during a no-hit bid because of cramping in his right hamstring.

Murphy was encouraged with bullpen sessions and said "all things look good" for Misiorowski to start Wednesday. Now he gets extra rest.

All things do not look good for Brewers reliever Angel Zerpa, whom Murphy announced will have Tommy John surgery on Monday.

The 26-year-old, who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals in the offseason, is facing 12-18 months recovery.

--Field Level Media