First pitch: Monday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Line: Milwaukee -115, St. Louis +105, Total: 7.5

The streaking Brewers look to win their seventh in a row against a Cardinals team that has stumbled against some lesser teams of late. Milwaukee and St. Louis will send their best to the mound Monday as the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner, Chris Carpenter, will face the 2009 AL Cy Young, Zack Greinke.

The Cardinals have been average on the road this year (28-27, +0.6 Units) and just 18-20 when playing a team with a winning record. St. Louis is also 2-6 in Carpenter’s last eight starts against Milwaukee, as Carpenter has carried a 6.14 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in these eight outings. Greinke hasn’t lost to the Cards since 2005, going 4-0 with a 2.30 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in the past five games against them. The Brewers hold the best home record in the majors (39-14) and are 26-17 against division foes. The Brewers have fared well against right-handers this year too, going 49-36. Expect MILWAUKEE to stay hot and win at home as it has done so often this year. Here are two more FoxSheets trends backing the Brew Crew.

MILWAUKEE is 35-12 (74.5%, +19.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 to 8.5 this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 5.1, OPPONENT 3.7 - (Rating = 2*).

ST. LOUIS is 11-21 (34.4%, -13.4 Units) against the money line vs. teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game this season. The average score was ST LOUIS 4.0, OPPONENT 5.3 - (Rating = 2*).

Chris Carpenter (6-7, 3.68 ERA) started off the 2011 season with just one win in his first 15 starts (1-7 record), but has been sizzling lately, going 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA in his past seven starts. The Cardinals just finished up a seven-game homestand against the NL Central’s two cellar teams (Astros and Cubs) in which they only went 4-3. Albert Pujols (.283 BA, 24 HR, 65 RBI) has recorded eight hits (.471 BA) in his past four games and has a lifetime .340 BA and 1.053 OPS in 75 games at Miller Park.

Zack Greinke (8-4, 4.50 ERA), has not pitched as well as Milwaukee had hoped when they signed the former Cy Young winner to a big contract in the offseason. Despite his high ERA, Greinke has managed an impressive 8-4 record and 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings (123 K in 94 IP). Greinke is coming off a nice pitching victory Wednesday when he threw 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out nine. The Brewers will need that type of effort out of Greinke against the hot Chris Carpenter. The Brew Crew also need Ryan Braun (.322 BA, 21 HR, 71 RBI) to change his unsuccessful history against Carpenter: 3-for-15, four strikeouts.