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 Still, the Brewers found a way to win and keep their
major-league-best start going.
Left fielder Khris Davis made up for a four-strikeout performance
with a tiebreaking triple in the top of the 12th inning, and
Milwaukee outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 at Busch Stadium.
Davis' hit came off a 1-2 pitch from reliever Seth Maness and scored
Jonathan Lucroy, who doubled to lead off the inning. Third baseman
Mark Reynolds plated Davis with a sacrifice fly.
Closer Francisco Rodriguez picked up his big-league-best 12th save,
inducing a game-ending flyout from shortstop Jhonny Peralta with the
potential tying runs on base. The result improved Milwaukee to 19-7
overall, 10-1 away from Miller Park.
"It's been an unbelievable first month," Rodriguez said. "I like our
chances because we're hungry. We had a couple of guys hurt and we
were out of position players, but we kept grinding."
With left fielder Ryan Braun (oblique) and shortstop Jean Segura
(facial injuries) out of the starting lineup for the second straight
game, the Brewers were playing two men short. Third baseman Aramis
Ramirez was forced out in the seventh after suffering a left elbow
contusion when hit by a Pat Neshek pitch with the bases loaded,
scoring pinch hitter Lyle Overbay to cap a three-run rally and even
the score at 3.
Ron Roenicke found out Ramirez couldn't go after the manager already
told plate umpire Toby Basner that reliever Tyler Thornburg would
hit ninth. That prevented him from double-switching and forced him
to stick catcher Martin Maldonado at first base.
"It's an easy (double-switch) if I know (Ramirez) can't go,"
Roenicke said. "I figured he was OK. Once I told (Basner) it was
straight up, that's it."
The switch almost cost Milwaukee the game. Maldonado missed the bag
while catching a throw from second baseman Scooter Gennett on a
grounder by Matt Carpenter that should have ended the ninth.
Instead, Carpenter was safe, and the Cardinals (14-13) got another
chance. However, reliever Brandon Kintzler induced a first-pitch
grounder from center fielder Jon Jay to force extra innings.
Zach Duke (2-0) worked two innings for the win as the Brewers
bullpen allowed only four hits in six shutout frames. Maness (0-2),
who was St. Louis' sixth pitcher, absorbed the loss.
"Seems like everything they hit is finding a hole," Maness said.
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Two pitches before his triple, Davis lofted a fly ball down the left
field line. Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday could have caught
it in foul territory, but he let the ball drop, figuring he couldn't
throw out Lucroy at the plate.
St. Louis manager Mike Matheny agreed with Holliday's decision.
Holliday went 3-for-6 with two RBIs, singling home a run in the
first and leading off the sixth with his second homer to center,
making it 2-0. Right fielder Allen Craig blasted a solo shot two
batters later to give Cardinals starter Michael Wacha a three-run
lead.
Wacha suddenly lost it in the seventh. After giving up a one-out
walk to shortstop Jeff Bianchi, he allowed four consecutive singles,
with Overbay and Gennett knocking in runs and knocking Wacha out.
Wacha pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs
while walking two and fanning nine.
Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo, who entered the game 1-11 with a
6.46 ERA in 17 career starts against St. Louis, worked six innings.
He allowed seven hits and three runs, walking one and striking out
two.
"It's a great feeling to win this one," Rodriguez said. "(Wacha) was
keeping the ball down and attacking the zone. In the seventh, we got
to him."
NOTES: Milwaukee SS Jean Segura sat out his second straight game
after being struck in the face by the bat of RF Ryan Braun on a
practice swing before the bottom of the first inning of Saturday
night's game. Braun (oblique) also missed his second game in a row.
... St. Louis recalled 2B Greg Garcia and OF Randal Grichuk from
Triple-A Memphis, sending down Opening Day 2B Kolten Wong and OF
Shane Robinson. Garcia walked in the seventh as a pinch hitter,
while Grichuk went 0-for-2 after coming in as part of a double
switch in the ninth. ... Long-time Fox baseball analyst Tim
McCarver, who retired from national TV announcing after last year's
World Series, called his first Cardinals game Monday night. He is
scheduled to work 30 local telecasts for the club.
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