Brewers, Cardinals primed for more fireworks in latest meeting

The Milwaukee Brewers‘ next series with the St. Louis Cardinals should be another slugfest.

The division rivals hit a combined 32 home runs in their first seven meetings of the season, and have hit a combined 78 homers in their meetings dating back to the start of last season.

Only the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners have combined for more home runs — 82 — over that span.

That’s likely to continue.

Of the Brewers 113 total runs this season, home runs have accounted for 78 of them, or 69%, tops in the majors.

Naturally, Christian Yelich is leading the way.

The reigning NL MVP has eight home runs against the Cardinals so far this season, and is already just two homers away from matching Eric Thames‘ club record for most home runs in a single season against a single opponent.

Thames teed off on the Cincinnati Reds back in 2017, hitting 10 home runs.

Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been dangerous against the Brewers.

Goldschmidt is hitting .370 in 53 career games against the Brewers, and has hit five of his eight home runs this season against Milwaukee.

Other notes:

— Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty is set to face the Brewers for the third time this season. Flaherty has a .220 opponent batting average, an 11.45 K/9 and a 0.82 ERA in games against the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. He has an 11.57 ERA in two games against the Brewers with a .457 opponent batting average and a 10.29 K/9.

— Flaherty has a 10.86 K/9 since the start of 2018, fourth in the National League over that span.

— The Brewers have scored nearly half of their runs this season with two outs. Milwaukee has scored 48.7% of its runs this season with two outs, the second-highest such percentage in the majors.

Statistics courtesy of Sportradar