Brent Suter out-dueled Luke Weaver today enough to secure his fifth victory of the season. Weaver and the Cardinals bullpen was MIA this afternoon, giving up 8 runs on 10 hits.
Brent Suter shut the Cardinals bats down through his first four innings, allowing only 2 hits (Ozuna & Carpenter), one being a bunt single from Carp against the shifted infield. This is the second time I recall Carp doing that this season, and he’s not too shabby at it.
Weaver’s 1st inning went smooth, as he struck out Yelich and Aguilar to end the inning, setting the Brewers down in order. Weaver would throw 6 pitches to both batters, getting Yelich in a curveball and Aguilar on a high-outside fastball.
Ryan Braun (3-3, 3 runs, RBI) got things started for the Crew in the bottom of the 2nd, hitting a one out double to RF. Cafecíto then made a nifty play on a ground ball from Villar, saving a run on the play. Weaver was a pitch away from getting out of the inning unharmed but Piña would rip a single to CF, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead they would never give back.
Luke Weaver looked like he was about to get out and escape from a harmless 3rd inning when Yelich blasted a two-out solo HR to RF. Weaver gave Yelich two changeup in-a-row and Yelich was waiting for the second offering, making it 2-0 Brewers.
The Cardinals flashed some leather this inning too, Trap House Gyorko at 2B would snag a sharp liner off the bat of Suter and Muñoz made a sweet play, showing off his arm throwing out Aguilar to end the inning.
The Brewers would strike with their first of two big blows in the bottom of the 4th, coming with two outs (AGAIN). Weaver’s defense didn’t help him either, including himself.
After Braun hit a one out single to RF, he would advance to 2B on a throwing error from Weaver on a pick-off attempt. Weaver then walked Villar, bringing up Piña. Piña popped out to Gyorko for an infield fly rule for the second out. Saladino worked a free pass, loading the bases for the pitcher, Brent Suter. Suter can handle his own at the dish too, apparently.
Showing some pop after his line out to Gyorko in the 3rd, Suter would rip a ball underneath the glove of Cafecíto at 1B for a 2-run double. After the ball got under Jose’s glove, he kind of just lallygagged, jogging towards the ball while Gyorko sprinted towards it, throwing out another possible Brewers run to end the inning. Brewers with the 4-0 lead.
The Cardinals would fight back, striking for 3 runs in the top of the 5th. Bader led the inning off hitting a single to LF. Then, Yairo Muñoz hit his first career HR, a two run shot to LF, scoring Bader making it 4-2 Crew. Muñoz displayed great power on his swing, taking an outside pitch to LF from a soft-tossing lefty. Suter would get the next two Cardinals batters, bringing up leadoff man, Matt Carpenter. Carpenter would draw the Cardinals within a run, getting an inside fastball and ripping it to deep RF for a solo HR, making it 4-3 Brewers.
This is when the offense hit rest mode, well maybe the just shut down, but you get the point. (12/14) of the next batters would be retired, the only two reaching base being Garcia (pinch-hit) with a walk and Gyorko with a double.
The Brewers bullpen (Williams, Albers, & Barnes) would toss 4 scoreless innings, striking out 5, giving up only 1 hit.
The Brewers added onto their lead in the bottom of the 5th, dampening the mood after bringing the game within a run. Again, you guessed it, with two outs. Again off the bat of, you guessed it, Ryan Braun. It’s so predictable, right? This is why we love it.
Mike Mayers would relieve Weaver and toss the 5th and 6th innings respectively. Mayers faced the top of the Brewers order, walking Lorenzo Cain, retiring him at 2B on a Yelich 4-6 fielder’s choice. Mayers got his first of two strikeouts on Aguilar next, striking the big man out looking at a high slider. Shaw would hit a single into RF next, before the inning became another nightmare.
Ryan Braun would bloop a broken-bat single into CF and Pham would misplay it going to pick it up, allowing Shaw and Braun to advance an extra base. Mayers didn’t let the error hurt him, striking Villar out to end the inning on 97 mph fastball up in the zone.
Mayers worked around a leadoff double from Piña in the bottom of the 6th, getting three fly ball outs in-a-row on Saladino, Santana (pinch-hitting), & Cain.
Punch me if I sound like a broken record again, but the Brewers scored 3 more runs in the bottom of the 7th, again, with two outs.
Brett Cecil came in relief of Mayers, giving up a leadoff single to Yelich. Yelich would steal second base as Cecil got Aguilar to fly out to Pham. Cecil then struck out Shaw on his famous knuckle-curve. With Braun coming up with two outs and first base open, Matheny would have Cecil intentionally walk him, bringing in the switch-hitting, Jonathan Villar. Villar is barely hitting over .200 from the right-hand side of the plate, but that wouldn’t matter here. Villar absolutely crushed (404 feet, 104 mph off the bat) a low fastball down the middle from Cecil to LF for a 3 run bomb, giving the Crew an 8-3 lead.
This is where this one ended, Brebbia threw an easy 1-2-3 8th inning, recording a strikeout (Saladino) and two weak pop outs (Sogard & Cain) to Carp at 3B.
The Cardinals seek to get back in the win column tomorrow behind the arm of Michael Wacha (5-1, 2.88) as he takes on Zach Davies (2-4, 4.74). First pitch at 6:40 c/t.
Thanks for reading, cheers!
Game 51 is 'in the books'
by Stew // @StewStilez
