(Sports Network) - While Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright and Brewers hurler Yovani Gallardo aren't household names, both are pitching like All- Stars this year. Yet, neither will represent the National League in next week's contest.

Instead, the two pitchers will try to claim first place for their respective teams, as NL Central-leading St. Louis begins a three-game series with Milwaukee tonight at Miller Park.

The Cardinals enter this key set with a one-game lead over the Brewers in the standings. St. Louis has won four of its last five to take the advantage, while Milwaukee has helped with losses in four of its last five.

Gallardo is 8-5 with a 2.75 earned run average on the season, but is coming off a tough-luck loss to the Mets on Wednesday. The 23-year-old hurled seven innings of one-run ball and struck out a career-high 12, but was on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision.

The right-handed Gallardo has allowed two runs or fewer in 12 starts this year, including May 25 versus the Cardinals. He hurled eight shutout frames on that day, but got a no-decision and is 0-1 with a 5.30 ERA in three career starts versus St. Louis.

Wainwright, meanwhile, is also 8-5 this year and sports a 3.32 ERA. He has held the opposition to two runs or fewer 11 times this season and also set a new career high with 12 strikeouts in a no-decision versus the Giants on Wednesday. The righty gave up just a run over nine innings of a game his club won in 10 innings.

The 27-year-old is 3-3 with a 2.59 ERA and one save in 15 games (eight starts) lifetime versus the Brewers and has split two starts versus them this year, allowing a total of two runs and seven hits over 15 innings.

Milwaukee's All-Star duo of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are a combined 2- for-8 off Wainwright this year with zero homers. Fielder, though, did jack his 22nd homer of the season in Sunday's 8-2 setback to Milwaukee.

"Prince has pretty much carried this team, he and Braun offensively. We're hoping that we get a little more improvement from the rest of the guys as the season goes on," Brewers manager Ken Macha said.

Both Fielder and the Cardinals' Albert Pujols will represent the NL in next week's home run derby. Pujols, who has 26 homers and 100 RBI in his career versus Milwaukee, has posted a major-league best 31 homers this year.

St. Louis won its rubber match with Cincinnati on Sunday 10-1, as Colby Rasmus homered for a second day in a row and Chris Carpenter hurled seven strong innings.

The Cardinals hope to have Mark DeRosa back in the lineup for this big series, as he has been out since June 30 due to a strained left wrist. He has played in just three games since being acquired from Cleveland, going 0-for-9 in that span.

"The wrist will tell you when he's ready to play, not a schedule," manager Tony La Russa told the Cardinals' official Web site. "Mother Nature, if you've got a line to her, she'd be the one to call. Because if he's not ready Tuesday, we're not going to play him until he's ready -- whenever that is. We need him back, and to stay back."

The Brewers swept a three-game set versus the Cardinals in St. Louis on May 16-18, but then dropped two of three at home versus the Cards later that month. Milwaukee has still won 11 of the last 14 meetings in the series.