STL 3, MIL 2; Mental error crushes hopes and dreams

Winning Pitcher: Sam Freeman

Losing Pitcher: Jimmy Nelson

Win Expectancy Chart

Boxscore

First inning

The Brewers wasted little time in the first inning. Or rather the Brewers wasted little of the Cardinals' time. Carlos Gomez struck out on 3 pitches. Scooter Gennett lined out on 1 pitch. Jonathan Lucroy grounded out in 3 pitches.

At least the Cardinals responded in a similar fashion, going 3 up 3 down in 11 pitches.

Second Inning

The Brewers went down in order again, but at least they lasted more than 7 pitches this time. Though that was entirely thanks to Gerardo Parra. He saw 6 pitches. It only took 2 pitches per batter to retire Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez.

The Cardinals sent 3 batters to the plate and Lohse sat them down. This time it took a whole 12 pitches! So far so good.

Third Inning

The Brewers sent two September call-ups and Kyle Lohse to the plate. The trio went down in order, but at least they lasted 13 pitches. That was better than the Brewers 1-6 hitters...

Lohse's perfect game ended 2 batters into the inning. After retiring Oscar Taveras, he hit Kolton Wong. Shelby Miller then advanced the runner on a sac bunt. Then Matt Carpenter drew a walk. The mini-crisis was averted after Jon Jay lined out sharply to Aramis Ramirez. After all that Kyle Lohse left the 3rd inning with no-hitter intact having only thrown 39 pitches (which was just 9 more than Shelby Miller for what it's worth).

Fourth Inning

Top of the Brewers order got their second look at Shelby Miller. After going down in 7 pitches the first time up, things had to go better this time around. That's exactly what they did. Carlos Gomez lasted 6 pitches before flying out. Scooter Gennett lasted 7 pitches before flying out. Jonathan Lucroy broke up the no-hitter and the perfect game with his NL record breaking 45th double as a catcher! He's now a double away (as a catcher) from breaking the major league record. He's currently tied with Ivan Rodriguez. Lucroy now has 52 doubles in total on the season and is a double away from tying Lyle Overbay for the franchise doubles record. Aramis Ramirez then crushed the shutout with an RBI single! Ryan Braun kept things going with a single of his own. Gerardo Parra struck out to end the inning, but the Brewers took the 1-0 lead.

After a one pitch fly out to the first batter, Gerardo Parra whiffed on a somewhat tough play and Matt Adams breaks up Lohse's no hitter with a single. Lohse came right back though, inducing an inning ending double play off the bat of Jhonny Peralta.

Fifth Inning

The Brewers sent their September call-ups to the plate for their second look at Shelby Miller. Would they follow suit and do better than last time? Well, one of them would. After lasting 6 pitches the first time up, Matt Clark lasted 1 this time. Only instead of making an out he lined a single. Hector Gomez struck out. Kyle Lohse went up to the plate trying to bunt the runner over. Only he bunted a little too hard giving Shelby Miller the chance to throw the lead runner out. Perhaps he was a little too excited because his throw sailed into center field and everyone was safe. Carlos Gomez chopped one to the shortstop. The Cardinals got the out at second but Gomez beat the relay throw to put runners at the corners for Scooter Gennett. Scooter hit the ball hard, but right at first baseman Matt Adams. Apparently it was a little too hard because Adams has the ball ricochet off his glove and into short right. Clark scores and Gomez makes it all the way to third base with some good heads-up base running. Lucroy hit the ball hard, but right back to Miller who was able to secure the out at first. The Brewers till walked away from an eventful inning with a 2-0 lead.

Kyle Lohse continued cruising again, needing only 9 pitches to retire the Cardinals in order.

Sixth Inning

Aramis Ramirez grounded out quickly to lead off the inning. Ryan Braun then lined sharply off Shelby Miller, literally. It hit him on the lower part of his leg and ricocheted directly over to first base for an easy out. Miller looked in pain at first, but stayed in the game long enough to retire Gerardo Parra on a grounder.

Daniel Descalso led off the inning for the Cardinals as the pinch hitter for Miller. He quickly flew out. Then Kyle Lohse struck out Matt Carpenter. Jon Jay lined a single on the first pitch he saw. Matt Holliday scared me, working the count to 3-1 before he ultimately grounded out to end the inning.

Seventh Inning

The Cardinals fielding woes continued. On a weak grounder to third base, Mark Reynolds (pinch hitting for Matt Clark in response to Randy Choate taking the mound) reached first when the ball went under Matt Carpenter's glove. Choate was immediately replaced with Seth Maness who got three straight outs to end the inning.

Matt Adams led off the inning with long fly ball to right, fielded nicely by Braun who held him to a single. Jhonny Peralta worked a full count and fouled a couple pitches off before finally popping out to shallow center. Yadier Molina then grounded sharply to third base for the inning ending double play.

Eighth Inning

Seth Maness stayed in the game. He retired Gennett and Lucroy before allowing a single to Ramirez. Then Braun hit what has become his patented ground out to shortstop.

Kyle Lohse also returned to the mound in the eighth inning. He started the inning with 79 pitches. Oscar Taveras shot one up the middle for a single. Mike Matheny put in Peter Boujous to run for Taveras. Kolton Wong made my heart skip a beat with a ball crushed to right...but foul. Then he grounded back to Lohse who got the out at second base. Ron Roenicke then removed Lohse for Jonathan Broxton. It was a great outing for Kyle Lohse, perhaps his best of the year all things considered. AJ Pierzynski grounded right to Mark Reynolds. It should have been an inning ending double play, but Reynolds forgot how many outs there were and simply stepped on first base for one out. It felt like a nightmare playing out. Matt Carpenter worked the count 3-0. Then he took a strike and fouled one off to get the count full. The next pitch was ball 4. Jon Jay came to the plate with two runners on. Ball, foul, foul, ball, line drive RBI. Cardinals pull with-in a run. Matt Holliday came to the plate and immediately grounded up the middle. It was a slow roller that Gennett had to charge in on. He attempted to throw the runner out at first. The call was out, but upon review he was safe by a mile. Matt Carpenter never slowed and he actually went home. The Brewers never attempted to make a throw at the plate, but the Brewers caught a huge break. The umpires ruled the runner had to go back to third base and so the run didn't count. It was still 2-1 Brewers. Matt Adams stepped up with bases loaded 2 outs. Ball, foul, ball, ball, foul, foul, ball. Tie ball game. The next batter grounded out, so at least the Brewers didn't find themselves down a run.

Ninth Inning

Trevor Rosenthal took the mound for the Cardinals. He struck out Gerardo Parra. Mark Reynolds popped up for the second out. Hector Gomez grounded out to end the inning.

Jeremy Jeffress took the mound for the Brewers. Yadier Molina led off with a double. Tommy Pham pinch ran for him. Peter Bourjous bunted for a strike out. The Brewers then intentionally walked Kolton Wong to set up the double play. Randal Grichuk pinch hit for the pitcher. He struck out. RRR then put in Will Smith to face the left handed Matt Carpenter. Will Smith got the strike out to send the game into extras.

Tenth Inning

Lyle Overbay pinch hit for the pitcher and drew a walk off Pat Neshek. I'm not sure if Gomez chose to do it himself, or if RRR called it from the dugout, but Carlos went up there bunting. It seemed incredibly stupid as Lyle Overbay just walked on 4 straight pitches. On his second attempt, Carlos popped up for an out. Then Scooter Gennett kept the dream alive with a line drive single, sending Elian Herrera (who was pinch running for Overbay) all the way to third base. One out, runners at the corners for Jonathan Lucroy. He struck out. Two outs, runners at the corners for Aramis Ramirez. He grounded out.

Playing the long game, RRR put in Marco Estrada who has actually been quite excellent in relief. Jon Jay grounded to Hector Gomez for the first out. Matt Holliday popped up for the second out. Matt Adams lined out to end the inning.

Eleventh Inning

The Cardinals put in their own long man, Carlos Martinez. Ryan Braun greeted him with a single to right. No one can tell RRR playing for 1 run isn't a requirement. He had Gerardo Parra go up to bunt the runner over, which he did do. Then somewhat strangely he chose to pinch hit for Mark Reynolds. Khris Davis hit for him and he grounded out, advancing Braun to third. Then even more confusingly, RRR pinch hit Logan Schafer for Hector Gomez. The Cardinals took the confusing cake when they decided to walk Schafer after he drew a 2-0 count. Rickie Weeks then pinch hit for Estrada (who I thought for sure would be in for multiple innings). He was able to draw a walk to load the bases. Gomez came to the plate with no apparent game plan. He swung threw the first pitch and then bunted through the second. Remember, bases were loaded. He then fouled a pitch off before striking out to end the inning.

Brandon Kintzler took over for the Brewers. Jhonny Peralta led off with a single. Tony Cruz came to the plate to bunt. After working a 2-1 count, he pulled back the bunt and lined out to Scooter Gennett. Peralta was running on contact and so Gennett was able to turn the double play. Kintzler ended the inning by inducing a ground ball off the bat of Peter Bourjos.

Twelfth Inning

Scooter Gennett led off the inning with a line out. Jonathan Lucroy lined a single. Aramis Ramirez popped out. A wild pitch sent Lucroy to second base. Ryan Braun worked the count full before striking out on what would have been ball 4. It was about two feet out of the strike zone too.

Zach Duke took the mound and struck out Kolton Wong to start the inning. Xavier Scruggs was able to work the count full before Duke finally struck him out. Matt Carpenter accidentally swung at a pitch and wound up at first on a slow dribbler to third. Jon Jay has crushed lefties this year, but he did not crush one this time. Instead he struck out sending this hellish nightmare to the thirteenth inning.

Thirteenth Inning

Lefty Sam Freeman took over for the Cardinals. Gerardo Parra was entirely over matched, striking out on 3 pitches. Jean Segura last a couple pitches longer but he too looked over matched striking out on a ball in the dirt. Jason Rogers got the first plate appearance of the night. He grounded out.

Jimmy Nelson took over for the Brewers. Jonathan Lucroy took over at first base and Martin Maldonado took over behind the plate. The only position player not involved in this game at this point was catcher Matt Pagnozzi. Matt Holliday led off the inning with a single. Matt Adams grounded into a fielder's choice. Jhonny Peralta lined to Ramirez who pulled his glove up a second too soon. Instead of turning the double play, both runners would be safe. Tony Cruz lined to center to end what is probably the most emotionally crushing loss of the season.

Other notes:

• The Pirates seem unstoppable and the Red Sox suck big time. Down a run to the Pirates in the top of the ninth, the Red Sox were able to get runners at the corners with no out. They put a pinch runner *Jemile Weeks) at third base who made a baserunner error. It was ruled the ball hit him in fair territory and so he was out. Runners then at first and second the next two batters struck out to end the game. The Pirates have won 11 of their last 13 and are now within 2 games of the Giants for the first wild card spot. They remain 2.5 games back of the Cardinals and also go up 3.5 games to the Brewers.

• The Giants did not play today.