The St. Louis Cardinals host the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium on Monday, July 6, with first pitch set for 7:45 PM ET. Dustin May gets the ball for St. Louis against Milwaukee left-hander Shane Drohan in what shapes up as an intriguing divisional matchup. Both teams know each other well — NL Central rivals playing meaningful games in the heart of the summer stretch — and any ground gained or lost against a division opponent carries extra weight on the standings ledger. Cardinals fans can catch the action on Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365 or listen on KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM.
Probable Pitchers: Dustin May vs. Shane Drohan
Dustin May draws the start for the Cardinals. The right-hander has battled through injury-interrupted stretches in his career, and every start he logs matters as the club works to piece together consistent rotation depth. How May commands his fastball and attacks hitters early in counts will be worth watching — when he's on, he generates ground balls and keeps his pitch count manageable. A clean first three innings would set the tone for the night.
Shane Drohan will oppose him for Milwaukee. The left-hander is a name Cardinals hitters will need to respect. Left-handed starters can create matchup challenges, and St. Louis will want to identify Drohan's primary offering early and look to make him work deep into counts rather than chasing early-count pitches out of the zone.
Keys to Watch for the Cardinals
- May's command early: Dustin May is at his best when he's ahead in counts and inducing weak contact. Getting through the Milwaukee lineup without a big inning in the first three frames is the goal.
- Plate discipline against Drohan: Left-handed pitching can disrupt lineup rhythm. The Cardinals' patient hitters will need to work walks if Drohan is locating, rather than expanding the zone and giving away outs.
- Bullpen management: Depending on how deep May goes, St. Louis will need its relief corps to protect leads or keep games close. Middle-inning leverage situations against a divisional opponent are where races are won or lost.
- Capitalizing at Busch: Home field matters. The Cardinals need to protect Busch Stadium and make Milwaukee uncomfortable in a hostile environment down the stretch of summer.
Prediction
This is a classic NL Central grind — two clubs that know each other's tendencies and won't give away anything cheap. Dustin May is capable of delivering a quality outing when his mechanics are right, and pitching at home in front of a Busch Stadium crowd gives him every opportunity. The Cardinals take this one, 4-2, with May going six innings and the offense finding enough against Drohan to do the damage. Division games like this are the ones you circle — St. Louis needs the win.
