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Win: Brandon Kintzler (1-0)
Loss: Fernando Salas (0-2)
Save: Burke Badenhop (1)
HR: Adams (3), Braun (2), Lucroy (1)
MVP: Yuniesky Betancourt (+.355)
LVP: Rickie Weeks (-.190)
For the first twenty-five innings of their series against the Cardinals, the Brewers were unable to score any runs. Finally, in the eighth inning of Sunday's game, the Brewers were able to plate two runs on a home run by Ryan Braun. The Brewers still trailed by a run, but scoring a run seemed like a pretty big accomplishment at the time.
After a scoreless inning from closer Jim Henderson in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Brewers were able to tie the game at three in the top of the ninth. Carlos Gomez led the inning off with a bloop single to right field. Yuniesky Betancourt followed the single with a double to the right field gap that allowed Gomez to score from first.
With Betancourt on second, Logan Schafer sent a sacrifice bunt down the third base line that Yadier Molina inexplicably grabbed before it rolled foul and failed to throw Betancourt out at third leaving runners on the corners with no outs. Since one bunt with no outs wasn't enough, Norichika Aoki popped up a bunt attempt behind home plate for the first out of the inning. Jean Segura, one of the Brewers' hottest bats, followed Aoki with a weakly hit chopper that was just barely gloved on an acrobatic play from Cardinals reliever Edward Mujica, who threw Betancourt out at home with ease. Braun ended the rally with a sharply hit ground ball to the first baseman.
Brandon Kintzler pitched a perfect ninth inning to force extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Jonathan Lucroy hit his first home run of the season to give the Brewers their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Unfortunately, Kintzler could not continue the success in the tenth inning as he walked David Freese after getting up 0-2 to start the bottom of the tenth. The Brewers pulled Kintzler out of the game after Jon Jay laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Freese to second. With one out and Freese on second, the Brewers turned to Michael Gonzalez to handle left-handed Matt Carpenter. Carpenter flew out weakly to shallow left field and Ron Roenicke decided to attempt to play the matchups with two outs by bringing in Burke Badenhop to face Shane Robinson. Unfortunately, the Cardinals still had Carlos Beltran on the bench, who promptly came in after Badenhop entered the game. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Beltran grounded out to Segura and Badenhop earned his third career save.
The Brewers have an off day tomorrow before coming back home to Miller Park to face the San Francisco Giants in a three game series. Wily Peralta will take the mound for the Brewers and face off against left-hander Barry Zito in the series opener on Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m.