April 28 National League probable pitching matchup capsules

Your early leader for the NL Cy Young Award? That’s probably the Cardinals’ Kyle Lohse, who has stepped up huge as the ace of the staff with Chris Carpenter out injured. Lohse looks to stay unbeaten on the season when he faces the Brewers on Saturday. Bet on Brewers-Cards and every game at WagerWeb.com.

Milwaukee at St. Louis – Brewers RHP Marco Estrada (0-0, 2.45) vs. Cardinals RHP Kyle Lohse (3-0, 0.99): This will be Estrada’s second start for left-hander Chris Narveson, who is out for the year with a shoulder injury. Estrada struck out nine and limited the Rockies to one run Saturday in his first start in Narveson’s spot. … Lohse has thrown at least seven innings in three of his four starts and would have four wins if not for a blown save. He’s walked only two, highlighting how well his command has been. Lohse has also not pitched from behind all year.

Houston at Cincinnati – Astros RHP Lucas Harrell (1-1, 3.97) vs. Reds RHP Johnny Cueto (2-0, 1.78): It’s been hit-or-miss season thus far for Harrell, who hasn’t won since throwing seven scoreless innings against the Rockies on the second day of the season. The Brewers got him for five runs in five innings on Monday. … Cueto earned his second win of the season his last time out against the Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings. The righty is 1-5 with a 4.01 ERA in 10 career starts against Houston

Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia – Cubs RHP Randy Wells (0-0, 3.60) vs. Phillies RHP Joe Blanton (1-3, 4.34): This will be Wells’ second start in place of Ryan Dempster, on the DL with a strained right quad. In his first game, against the Reds on Sunday, Wells escaped some jams and gave up two runs on six hits and five walks over five innings. … Sloppy defense ruined Blanton’s last start last weekend against the Padres at Petco Park, where he allowed six runs (three earned) in six innings. In three starts, Blanton has a 4.00 ERA.

Arizona at Miami – Diamondbacks RHP Ian Kennedy (3-0, 3.86) vs. Marlins RHP Anibal Sanchez (1-0, 2.79): Kennedy snapped the D-backs’ five-game losing streak on Sunday, pitching seven innings vs. the Braves and giving up three earned runs on nine hits. He hasn’t lost a regular-season decision since Aug. 18 against the Phillies. … Dominating is the best way to describe Sanchez’s first three games, yet he has just one win. In 19 1/3 innings, he has 19 strikeouts and just four walks. He’s scattered 16 hits, and has two straight no-decisions.

Pittsburgh at Atlanta – Pirates LHP Erik Bedard (0-4, 2.63) vs. Braves RHP Randall Delgado (2-1, 5.74): In 24 innings, Bedard has allowed seven runs — and received three runs of support. In 2011, Bedard also had an 0-4 record, but with an ERA of 7.71. His changes of speed and command have played well against NL lineups more used to fastball diets. … Delgado impressed when he pitched into the sixth inning after imploding with two outs in a five-run second inning against the D-backs on Sunday. He has continued to find success despite struggling to command his curve.

NY Mets at Colorado – Mets RHP Dillon Gee (1-2, 5.21) vs. Rockies RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-1, 5.92): Gee followed one of the best starts of his career with one of the worst, allowing seven runs and 12 hits — including two homers and a triple — to the Giants in 6 2/3 frames Monday at Citi Field. The righty has never faced the Rockies in 35 starts. … Guthrie has had two good starts in which he has gone seven innings and won, along with two rough ones — a no-decision and a loss. The problem was the two difficult starts came at Coors Field, when several poorly located pitches were hit hard.

San Diego at San Francisco – Padres RHP Anthony Bass (1-2, 2.33) vs. Giants RHP Tim Lincecum (1-2, 8.20): Bass shined in his last start against the Phillies, allowing one unearned run on three hits in six innings with seven strikeouts. Bass did walk five but mostly avoided any big damage. This will be his third start since moving to the rotation. … Lincecum is coming off his first win of the season after going five innings and striking out eight against the Mets but he also walked five. He has yet to go past six innings this season.

Washington at LA Dodgers – Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-0, 1.08) vs. Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley (2-1, 3.04): Strasburg pitched six shutout innings against the Marlins on Saturday, and he allowed four hits, struck out six batters and walked one over 94 pitches. Strasburg wasn’t in any serious trouble throughout his start. … The club insists Billingsley’s 3 1/3-inning outing in Sunday’s blowout loss in Houston had nothing to do with the sore groin muscle that bothered him in his previous start. He was roughed up for nine runs (five earned).

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