Thursday’s Game Report: Brewers 8, Cardinals 4
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals were hoping a well-pitched game from Andre Pallante would give them a chance to end their five-game series against the Brewers with another win on Thursday night at Busch Stadium.
Those hopes evaporated in a four-run third inning and the division-leading Brewers went on to defeat the Cardinals for the fourth time in the five-game series.
The Brewers improved to 8-2 against the Cardinals this season and pushed the Cardinals to a season-low 10 ½ games out of first place in the NL Central.
The only win in the series for the Cardinals came on Wednesday night behind Michael McGreevy.
The lone highlight for the Cardinals on Thursday night was a three-run homer from Jordan Walker, his 22nd of the season, which improved his MLB-leading RBI total to 73.
Here is how Thursday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals were held to five hits, one of which was the three-run homer by Walker in the sixth which temporarily pulled them within 6-4. The homer followed a hit batter and a walk … Alec Burleson doubled in the fourth and scored on a single by Lars Nootbaar and then scored a second run on the Walker home run … The 6-through-9 hitters in the lineup were hitless in a combined 15 at-bats and the team was just 2-of-10 with runners in scoring position, the hits coming on Walker’s home run and Nootbaar’s single.
On the mound: Pallante allowed two runs in the second and then the four in the third which put the Brewers up 6-0. The big blow was a three-run homer by Jake Bauers. Pallante pitched to one batter in the sixth before leaving after allowing eight hits and walking two … The Brewers picked up insurance runs in the seventh on a Brice Turang homer off Luis Gastelum and in the eighth on a double and sacrifice fly off Matt Svanson.
Key stat: In the five-game series, the seventh through ninth place hitters for the Brewers were a combined 18-of-54, a .333 average, with 10 RBIs. The Cardinals seventh through ninth hitters were a combined 4-of-51 with no RBIs.
Worth noting: Walker announced on Thursday that he will be participating in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star game in Philadelphia, which will take place on Monday night. He is the first Cardinal to be in the Derby since Albert Pujols in 2022. No Cardinal has ever won the Derby … The Cardinals won’t play the Brewers again until the final three games of the season, in Milwaukee … Pitching for Memphis at Gwinnett on Thursday night, Quinn Mathews struck out seven in seven scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. In his last seven starts since June 4, Mathews has allowed only eight earned runs in 39 1/3 innings while recording 45 strikeouts … Won-Bin Cho hit two more homers for Springfield on Thursday night. Since he was promoted to Double A Cho has hit nine homers in 12 games.
Up next: The final series before the All-Star break begins on Friday night with Kyle Leahy getting the start against the Braves’ Chris Sale. The game will be televised exclusively by Apple TV.
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