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 Add it all together and the Cardinals emerged with a 3-2 victory
over the Brewers, extending their winning streak to six games while
pushing the free-falling Brewers to four games back in the NL
Central.
"That was just a great overall effort," Cardinals manager Mike
Matheny said. "We had guys picking each other up all night."
Catcher Yadier Molina got things started in the first, putting St.
Louis on the board with a two-run single off Brewers right-hander
Wily Peralta.
The Cardinals got another in the third, on a run-scoring single by
second baseman Kolten Wong but that would prove to be enough for
Wacha, who went three innings in his first start since June 17 and
held Milwaukee to a run on three hits with three strikeouts.
"He was good," Matheny said. "His velocity looked good and he was on
a downhill plane. It was awful fun to watch."
Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy cut the deficit in half in the first
with an RBI double but after moving to third on a groundout by third
baseman Aramis Ramirez, was left stranded when right fielder Jon Jay
snagged a line drive by left fielder Krhis Davis.
 Jay would rob Davis again in the sixth. Milwaukee got back within a
run on a leadoff pinch hit home run by Rickie Weeks then got
back-to-back one-out singles from Lucroy and Ramirez.
That brought up Davis, who ripped a 2-2 fastball from right-hander
Jason Motte into the gap in right but Jay charged, reached and
snared it to end the inning.
Milwaukee threatened again in the seventh, putting two on with two
out before Lucroy bounced out and again put the go-ahead run on in
the eighth, setting the stage for Peter Bourjos.
Ramirez reached on an error to open the inning and moved to second
on a single Davis. Pinch-hitter Martin Maldonado flubbed an
attempted bunt to bring up right fielder Logan Schafer.
Schafer, 0-for-2 with a walk on the day, smoked a 1-0 sinker from
Pat Neshek to straight away center. Bourjos, though, turned and gave
chase before making the grab at the wall, forcing both runners to
scurry back and make the tag.
"I felt like I got a really good jump on it," Bourjos said. "I felt
like it was going to be right at the wall -- I didn't think it was
going to get out -- so I was just trying to get back there in time.
I couldn't tell if he got the barrel on it or not but my initial
break on it was good. It's tough in that situation to focus on the
ball and not the wall."
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Shortstop Segura ended the inning with a pop to shallow left and
Milwaukee, would strand two more in the ninth -- leaving 11 on in the
game.
"We hit a lot of balls hard, either they made a really good play on it
or we hit it right at 'em," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I
thought we had a lot of good at-bats. They'd get outs when we needed
'em, and then they made some nice plays."
Peralta came into the game 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts against
the Cardinal this season. He settled down after the rough first inning
and finished with seven strikeouts in six innings of work, but dropped
his third consecutive decision and for the fourth time in his last five
starts.
"We've got a bunch of games left," Peralta said. "I think after we get
past this streak that we have right now, I think we will have to take it
one game at a time and go after that."
Milwaukee has dropped nine in a row for the first time since 2010. The
Brewers' four-game deficit in the division is their biggest of the
season.
NOTES: In addition to reinstating RHP Michael Wacha from the 60-day
disabled list, St. Louis purchased the contract of INF Xavier Scruggs
from Triple-A Memphis and transferred OF Shane Robinson from the 15-day
to the 60-day DL. Robinson underwent season-ending left shoulder surgery
last week. ... Scruggs was in the starting lineup at first base
Thursday, giving slumping 1B Matt Adams a day off to rest his left
oblique, which he tweaked Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. ...
Milwaukee was without RF Ryan Braun for the second consecutive game.
Braun left the team Wednesday to return to Milwaukee where his wife gave
birth to the couple's first child overnight. Manager Ron Roenicke
expects Braun back in the lineup Friday.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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