ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Milwaukee Brewers, owners of the best record in the National League, open a pivotal four-game series against the second-place St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night at Busch Stadium III. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. under a forecast of 78 degrees with rain. Milwaukee (55-33) enters with a 1.5-game lead in the NL Central and is riding the momentum of a 3-2 win Sunday at Arizona. The Cardinals (47-40) trail by 7.5 games in the division but hold a wild-card spot. They dropped a 6-4 decision at Chicago on Sunday. The Brewers have dominated the season series, winning four of five meetings. The last three came in a sweep at American Family Field from May 25-27, outscoring St. Louis 13-2. Players to watch Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat has been dominant in his last three outings, posting a 1.76 ERA with 21 strikeouts over 15.1 innings. He earned the win Sunday in Arizona, allowing one run on five hits over four innings. Over his last two starts, he has yielded two runs in 9.1 innings. Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been productive despite the team’s recent struggles. He homered and drove in four runs Sunday at Wrigley Field, going 1-for-2. In his last three games, he has five RBIs. Recent results Milwaukee took three of four from Cincinnati (June 29-July 2) before splitting a four-game set at Arizona. The bullpen has been a strength: Trevor Megill threw a scoreless inning Sunday, and Jake Bauers homered and drove in two runs. St. Louis salvaged the finale of a three-game series in Atlanta on Thursday with an 11-5 win, but dropped three of four to the Cubs over the weekend. Matthew Liberatore lasted five innings Sunday, allowing three earned runs. Notable Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 Milwaukee victory. The Brewers are listed as -1.5 favorites, with the over/under set at 8. Following this series, Milwaukee travels to Pittsburgh for three games before the All-Star break. St. Louis hosts Atlanta for three games before a road trip to Arizona.