Milwaukee Brewers drop pitchers duel to St. Louis Cardinals 2-1

WP: Carlos Martinez (1-3); LP: Wily Peralta (4-2); S: Trevor Rosenthal (3); Homeruns: none

Box score

Offense was at a premium in a well pitched ballgame in St. Louis Tuesday night, and the Cardinals’ staff was a little better as they topped the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1. Starting pitchers Wily Peralta for the Brewers and Carlos Martinez for St. Louis were both tough, but Martinez was a little tougher.

A night after the two teams combined for six homers, 25 hits, and twelve runs in the Brewers 7-5, ten inning win, they combined for no homers, eleven hits, and three runs.

Peralta blanked the Redbirds through five innings before allowing two in the bottom of the sixth. Martinez was perfect through four innings before Travis Shaw singled to center leading off the fifth. Martinez allowed an unearned run in the seventh and ended his day with 7.1 innings, four hits, one walk, and just three strikeouts. The one walk was especially impressive, as he had walked 14 in 28.2 innings coming into the game.

Trevor Rosenthal earned his third save of the season with a perfect night including strikeouts of Domingo Santana and Ryan Braun, who returned from his trapezius injury with a pinch hit appearance for the final out of the game.

Brewer relievers Oliver Drake and Jhan Marinez threw good innings for Milwaukee in the seventh and eighth. Drake struck out all three batters he faced, including two looking. Marinez had his best outing of the season, also striking out three while walking one.

The Cardinals scored the two runs they would need for the win in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Carpenter singled leading off the inning, and one out later Stephen Piscotty doubled off the wall in left, with Carpenter stopping at third. That finished the night for Peralta, and Brewer manager Craig Counsell chose Jacob Barnes to try and keep the game scoreless. Barnes had allowed five earned in his last two appearances, and wasn’t particularly effective again tonight.

Yadier Molina sent a Barnes fastball to the warning track in dead center, plating Carpenter for the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly. Barnes walked Randal Grichuk and allowed an RBI single to Kolten Wong for the second run. He finally got the third out of the inning when Martinez chopped one up the middle that Jonathan Villar nabbed and took to second base for the force, unassisted.

The Brewers lone run came in the top of the seventh. Domingo Santana lined a two out single off of the glove of Martinez and took second on a wild pitch. Nick Franklin’s groundball was booted by Carpenter at first, putting runners at the corner for Jett Bandy. Bandy pulled an inside fastball into left for an RBI single, an unearned run, and a chance for Orlando Arcia to tie the game with runners again on first and third. Arcia fanned on three pitches, all swinging, ending the inning.

The Brewers threatened in the top of the eighth when Jesus Aguilar notched a pinch single up the middle leading off the inning. Hernan Perez singled to center off of reliever Brett Cecil to again get runners to first and third, but Travis Shaw took a called third strike to end the inning.

The loss drops the Brewers back into a tie with the Cardinals, looking to be one game behind the first place Cubs, who lead the Phillies 8-3 in the ninth.

Tomorrow night the Brewers (14-14) try to break the 1-1 tie in the series against the Cardinals (13-13). The Brewers send Chase Anderson (2-0, 2.10 ERA) against Adam Wainright (2-3, 6.12). Gametime is 7:15 and the broadcast is on FSN Wisconsin.