Brewers' Chacin stymies Cardinals in 2-1 win

[August 20, 2018]  Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin went six innings to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals for the first time in eight career decisions as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers won 2-1 at Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Mike Moustakas, whom the Brewers acquired near the trade deadline, hit a two-run double in the third inning to supply the offense, as Milwaukee ended a three-game losing streak.

The Brewers also climbed back over St. Louis for second place in the National League Central standings and in the race for the second NL wild card. It was only the second loss in the Cardinals' last 12 games.

Chacin (13-4) began the day with a career ERA of 6.90 against the Cardinals, including an 0-2 record and an 8.59 ERA against them this season. In six innings, he allowed the Cardinals only four hits while striking out three with no walks.

Cardinals right-hander John Gant (5-5) allowed six hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. Despite the traffic, the only runs scored in the third when Moustakas, with the count 0-2, pulled a changeup in the middle of the plate down the right-field line, scoring Orlando Arcia and Lorenzo Cain.

The Cardinals avoided a shutout when rookie Patrick Wisdom, a longtime minor-leaguer with only nine previous major-league plate appearances, rapped a pinch hit home run to left-center off Brewers All-Star reliever Jeremy Jeffress to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning.

Cardinals pinch hitter Patrick Wisdom (21) hits a solo home run during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

The next batter, Matt Carpenter, the NL leader in home runs with 33, came within a few feet of tying the game on his fly out to center.

In two innings, Jeffress allowed just the one hit while striking out two.

Lefty Josh Hader, another Brewers All-Star out of the bullpen, struck out the first two batters in the ninth before Jedd Gyorko flew out to right field, which late-inning replacement Keon Broxton caught up against the wall to end the game.

It was Hader's 10th save.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.