Brewers Pound Adam Wainwright Early, Survive Late Scare to Beat Cardinals

Aug 1, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (20) hits a three run double off of St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers traveled to St Louis today to take on the Cardinals in a National League Central matchup. The Brewers came into the game with a two game lead over the Cardinals and a two-and-a-half game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Brewers stuck with their normal five-man rotation instead of skipping a spot with the day off, so Wily Peralta (12-6, 3.56 ERA) took on Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright (13-5, 1.92 ERA).

Scooter Gennett hurt his left index finger while getting in some bunting practice before the game for Milwaukee and is day-to-day, meaning Elian Herrera manned second base for the Crew.

After beating David Price in their last game, the Brewer offense continued to pound away and knocked Wainwright around en route to a 7-4 win.

Wainwright had no problems with the Crew in the top of the first, putting Carlos Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun down in order. Peralta walked Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams and Jhonny Peralta in the bottom of the frame, but escaped the inning without a run.

Aramis Ramirez led off the top of the second with a home run (13) on a 3-0 count to put Milwaukee on top. Ramirez was 20-for-51 in his career against Wainwright at that point.

Khris Davis followed with a slow roller down the line at third and Carpenter couldn’t transfer from his glove to his hand, allowing Davis to reach on the error.

Lyle Overbay drew a walk to put two on with nobody out. Segura bunted Davis and Overbay each up a base. He was bunting for a hit, but ended up with the sacrifice.

The inning ended when Peralta lined out to short and the other Peralta doubled Herrera off first base on the play.

Peralta worked around a Peter Bourjos walk in the bottom of the second for the only Cardinals action in the inning.

The Brewers added a run in the top of the third. Lucroy knocked a one-out single and scored from first on a two-out double by Ramirez to put Milwaukee up 2-0.

Matt Holliday singled with one-out in the bottom of the frame for the Cardinals but was erased on an Adams double play ground out for another scoreless inning for Wily.

Wainwright worked through Overbay, Segura and Herrera in the top of the fourth. Peralta came back in the bottom of the frame and allowed just an Oscar Taveras double to keep the score 2-0.

The Brewers extended the lead in the fifth. Gomez knocked a one-out single to left and Lucroy followed with a walk.  Braun smacked a ground-rule double to right center to drive in Gomez.

Had it not bounced over the fence, Lucroy would likely have scored and it may have been a triple. Ramirez followed with a single down the left-field line.  Carpenter fielded it on the back hand, but couldn’t make a play. The hit loaded the bases.

Davis struck out and Overbay popped out to third to end the inning with just the one run scored. Peralta picked up a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the fifth to keep Milwaukee on top.

Jean Segura led off the top of the sixth with a swinging bunt up the middle. Wainwright fielded and fired to first low and Adams couldn’t handle the throw, allowing Segura to reach. It was ruled a hit, but it should have been an error on Adams.

Herrera followed with a bloop single over second base and into the outfield. Kolten Wong made a nice play on it and fired to second, trying to get Segura. Segura was originally ruled safe, and that call was confirmed on appeal, even though he looked out on the replay.

Peralta sacrificed Segura and Herrera up a base. Wainwright plunked Gomez to load the bases for Lucroy. After working a full count, Lucroy knocked a double down the line in right to drive in all three base runners and make the game 6-0.

That ended the night for Wainwright; he was replaced by Seth Maness. Lucroy came in to score on a double by Braun to make it 7-0. That finalized the line on Wainwright, who allowed seven runs on nine hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out five.

Ramirez flew out to right, needing just a triple for the cycle, advancing Braun to third. Davis struck out to end the inning with a 7-0 lead.

Holliday led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run (11) to left field to put the Cardinals on the board but that was all they would get in the inning.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Herrera reached on an infield hit but that was it for the Brewers in the inning.

Gerardo Parra came into the game for Davis in the bottom of the seventh. Bourjos knocked a ground-rule double over the wall in right center with one out in the inning.

He came in to score on a Carpenter single, ending the night for Peralta as Ron Roenicke came out and called for Will Smith to face lefty Kolten Wong. Smith promptly struck him out.

The final line on Peralta was two runs allowed on five hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out three batters.

Gomez led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk against new Cardinals pitcher Jason Mott. After a Lucroy line out Braun walked as well. Both runners moved up a base on a Ramirez ground out but they were left stranded.

Jeremy Jeffress came on to pitch the eighth for Milwaukee and he got groundouts by Holliday, Adams and Peralta.

Sam Freeman came out for the ninth for the Cardinals. He got Reynolds to fly out ahead of a Segura single. Segura was erased on a Herrera ground out. Rickie Weeks, hitting for Jeffress, walked to put two on but a Gomez fly out ended the inning.

Zach Duke came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth for Milwaukee. He got AJ Pierzynski to ground out ahead of a Taveras walk to put a man on. Duke struck out Bourjos for the second out.

He followed the whiff by walking Mark Ellis to put another runner on for Carpenter who launched a triple to right center to drive in both runners and make it 7-4. That was it for Duke as Roenicke called for Francisco Rodriguez.

Rodriguez came on and did his job, getting Wong to ground out to end the game with Milwaukee on top.

Peralta got the win for the Brewers, his 13th of the season, moving him into a tie with Wainwright and Clayton Kershaw for the league lead. Wainwright picked up the loss for the Cardinals.

Jimmy Nelson (1-2, 4.30 ERA) was supposed to start Saturday’s game against new Cardinal acquisition Justin Masterson (4-6, 5.51 ERA), but he’ll miss the start with a blister and everybody else in the rotation will move up a slot and pitch on normal rest due to the off day. That makes Kyle Lohse (11-5, 3.07 ERA) Saturday’s starter.