:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56027449/usa_today_10194472.0.jpg)
WP: Luke Weaver (1-1); LP: Brent Suter (2-2); Save: Trevor Rosenthal (7); HR: St. L - Yadier Molina 2 (11,12); Mil - Eric Thames (25), Jesus Aguilar (10)
The Milwaukee Brewers came back from a 5-1 seventh inning deficit with a run in the bottom of that frame and two in the eighth on a pinch homer by Jesus Aguilar, but couldn’t solve Trevor Rosenthal in his inning and a third and fell 5-4 to the Cardinals.
Luke Weaver was a number one draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, and tonight he pitched like one against the Brewers. Whether that is a result of good stuff or bad hitting is debatable. Perhaps a combination of both. But Weaver was plenty good enough to out-duel Brewers’ starter Brent Suter (not a number one pick), as the Birds solved the “crafty lefty” to the tune of five earned runs on eight hits in five and a third innings. Yadier Molina ripped a double and two homers off of Suter, and Jeremy Jeffress allowed two inherited runners from Suter to score on a double from Kolten Wong.
Weaver worked into the seventh, throwing 107 pitches...and he probably shouldn’t have come out for the seventh. He ended the night with 6 2⁄3 innings pitched, five hits allowed, two runs (earned), two walks, and eight strikeouts. Former Brewer Zach Duke relieved and retired the two lefties he was in to face to limit the damage, after a Keon Broxton double and Hernan Perez single produced the Brewers’ second run.
Perez’ base hit to drive in Broxton gave the Brewers one hit in nine plate appearances with RISP, continuing the recent struggles that the Brewers have suffered since the All Star break. The late rally had two hits in four at bats with runners in scoring position.
Jeffress, in his first appearance since being acquired back from Texas, didn’t allow any runs of his own, but the two run double from Wang was a game-changer - it came with the score 3-1 and two down in the sixth, and the 5-1 lead after the double felt insurmountable. It was, barely. Carlos Torres went the seventh and eighth, walking two but allowing no hits while striking out three. Jared Hughes worked a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts and a caught base stealer (Tommy Pham) by Hughes and Manny Pina.
The Brewers went 1-2-3 with two k’s in the bottom of the ninth.
With the Arizona D-Backs 3-0 win over the Cubs at Wrigley, the Brewers (56-53) remain 2½ behind the Northsiders. Tomorrow afternoon’s match-up has Michael Wacha (8-4, 3.71) going for St. Louis (53-54) against Matt Garza (4-5, 3.83) for Milwaukee.