Curt HoggMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
A sparse crowd Tuesday night at American Family Field did not light up the stadium with energy.
Neither did the Milwaukee Brewers offense.
Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz each hit solo home runs early, but the Brewers couldn’t otherwise capitalize on a strong showing from the bullpen and lost 7-4 in 12 innings to the St. Louis Cardinals.
A Willy Adames two-out, two-strike double to send the game to the 12th inning provided some late hope for the Brewers, but it was immediately crushed when freshly recalled Elvis Peguero took the mound after that.
BOX SCORE: Cardinals 7, Brewers 4 (12 innings)
St. Louis pushed across three runs in the decisive frame with Michael Siani’s two-run single with nobody out the big blow.
The Brewers’ No. 2 through 7 batters in the lineup went hitless until Adames’ game-tying single in the 11th, and offense, which had just two at-bats with a runner in scoring position before extra innings, struck out 15 times. Adames' double was the Brewers' only hit over their final 20 at-bats.
Back and forth in the 11th before Cards jump ahead for good
A Paul Goldschmidt RBI single with one out gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead in the top of the 11th inning, but the Brewers got it back in thrilling (and waiting fashion).
After Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley struck out the first two batters he faced to open the bottom of the frame, Adames hit a screamer to center with two strikes. Siani covered copious amounts of green to get to within diving distance of the ball and, upon fully laying out, snagged it in his webbing. But upon rolling over and attempting to lift his glove off the ground, Siani dropped the ball, and it was ruled a hit for Adames to tie the game.
Upon replay review, the call was confirmed, and after a third strikeout from Helsley the ballgame was sent to the 12th inning.
There, Peguero did not carry over the excellent work done by the rest of the Brewers' bullpen. He immediately walked No. 8 hitter Ivan Herrera, uncorked a wild pitch and threw a sinker that Siani shot to left to drive home two. Siani then stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher William Contreras and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Rough offense all night
Outside of a pair of big swings, the Brewers' offense was nowhere to be found. They were hitless in seven of nine innings through nine innings. Overall, they had only four hits, one walk and a hit batter.
The Brewers' bullpen, meanwhile, got the job done. Aaron Ashby relieved Aaron Civale after five innings and kept the Cardinals off the board in the sixth and seventh, Trevor Megill threw a scoreless eighth and Devin Williams retired the side in order in the ninth. Joel Payamps stranded the automatic runner in the top of the 10th but the Brewers failed to capitalize with a walk-off.
After Rhys Hoskins opened the bottom of the 10th with a walk against reliever Matthew Liberatore and Joey Ortiz dropped down a sacrifice bunt, Brice Turang grounded meekly back to the mound for the second out. Jackson Chourio was intentionally walked to face Blake Perkins, who struck out on three pitches.
Jackson Chourio does it again (and again)
The kid seemingly can't be stopped.
In the bottom of the third inning, Chourio drew within one home run of a 20-homer season with a solo home run off Cardinals starter Steven Matz. It was the second straight game and third out of the last four with a homer for Chourio, who is on the brink of a 20-homer, 20-steal season at 20 years old.
Chourio's blast tied the score at 2-2 just two batters after Ortiz pulled a solo shot down the line in left field, but a Goldschmidt homer in the fourth put St. Louis back in front, 3-2.
Through five innings, the two solo homers were the Brewers' only hits against Matz, who entered with a 6.18 ERA but struck out seven, until a Turang double on a grounder tapped to left with two outs in the fifth.
That marked the end of the road for Matz, with the Cardinals going to the bullpen to bring in a right-hander against Chourio as the Brewers' lineup flipped to the top for a third time through. Chourio came through yet again, slicing a double to left to plate Turang and tie the game again, raising his OPS to .803 in the process.
Jumping on Aaron Civale's fastballs
The Cardinals put five balls in play against fastballs from Aaron Civale in the first inning. Four of them were hit 95 mph or harder.
St. Louis put across a pair of runs in the frame with three doubles off Civale, who in his last start when seven scoreless at home against the Giants.
Brewers time, TV, radio
The Brewers game starts at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday.
TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620 and a state network
Brewers lineup
- Jackson Chourio LF
- Blake Perkins CF
- William Contreras C
- Gary Sanchez DH
- Willy Adames SS
- Brewer Hicklen RF
- Rhys Hoskins 1B
- Joey Ortiz 3B
- Brice Turang 2B
Cardinals lineup
- Masyn Winn SS
- Alec Burleson DH
- Nolan Arenado 3B
- Brendan Donovan 2B
- Paul Goldschmidt 1B
- Lars Nootbaar LF
- Jordan Walker RF
- Pedro Pages C
- Michael Siani CF
What is the Brewers record?
The Brewers are 81-57.
Is the American Family Field roof open?
Yes.
Brewers schedule
Brewers vs. Cardinals, 6:40 p.m. Wednesday. Milwaukee RHP Colin Rea (12-4, 3.70) vs. St. Louis RHP Sonny Gray (12-9, 3.96). TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
Off-day Thursday.
