Brewers stumble into All-Star Break with 5-1 loss to Cardinals

WP: Mike Leake (6-7)
LP: Junior Guerra (6-2)

HR: Mike Adams (10), Randall Grichuk (10)

Box Score

After getting a walk-off victory to start the series, the Brewers offense has been kept under control by the Cardinals. This time, it was Mike Leake that did most of the work.

The Brewers did have a lead early in this game. A double by Jonathan Villar and a single from Jonathan Lucroy put the Brewers up 1-0 to start today. That would be their only run of the game. Leake held the Brewers offense scoreless after that, pitching seven innings and allowing just one run on six hits.

Meanwhile, Junior Guerra didn’t have a good day in his final start of the first half. Matt Adams led off the second inning with a home run to tie the game at 1-1. In the fifth, Aledmys Diaz hit a two-out single to get on base, then scored all the way from first on a fly ball that turned into a single from Stephen Piscotty. Guerra would allow another home run in the third inning to account for his final line of the game. He finished with three runs allowed on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, with three walks and five strikeouts.

The bullpen also had some struggles today. Tyler Thornburg relieved Junior Guerra and allowed two hits in 1.1 innings, but also struck out three. Will Smith allowed a hit in an inning of work. Jeremy Jeffress continued the ninth-inning struggle for the second straight day, allowing two runs in an inning to account for the final 5-1 score.

On offense for the Brewers, Jonathan Villar and Jonathan Lucroy each had two hits. Only two other Brewers (Chris Carter & Junior Guerra) had a hit. The Brewers did not walk once. It’s the sixth time this season the offense didn’t record a walk, and the Brewers are 1-5 in those games.

With this loss, the Brewers head into the All-Star Break with a 38-49 record. They now have four days off before the second half of the season begins. The next game is on Friday in Cincinnati, with the starting pitchers to be determined.