The Brewers have one reason to care about this game: getting their ace through a clean, short outing before the playoffs. They've won 4 straight and took the first 2 of this set, 8-4 and then 3-2. With the postseason next, expect a light workload for the regulars, a quick hook for the starter and a long day for the relievers who need to show they're ready. Sunday tells you more about how the Brewers plan to handle October than about the standings.
St. Louis is 77-84, has lost 3 straight and is 1-4 in its last 5. The run-scoring numbers are the real concern. In the last 5 games the Cardinals were shut out once, scored 1 run in another and scored 2 in Saturday's 1-run loss here. They've kept games close, though. Three of those 4 losses were decided by 1 or 2 runs, and Pallante has been good enough to keep this one close too.
The Cardinals' injured list reads like a team that's ready for the offseason. Blaze Jordan is done for the year with an ankle injury. Joshua Baez has an oblique strain and Everson Pereira is still on a rehab assignment. Hunter Dobbins had elbow reconstruction and faces a 12-month recovery. The Brewers' list mostly matters for October. Brandon Woodruff is still on flat ground and will be re-evaluated at the end of the month. Quinn Priester and Angel Zerpa have been out for a long time.
For a neutral fan, the reason to watch is to see Misiorowski's arm one more time before it matters for real, and to see the record become official. Everything else in this game is a tune-up for one team and the end of the season for the other.