Milwaukee Brewers top Cards 5-3, but can’t gain in NL Wild Card

WP: Chase Anderson (12-4); LP: John Gant (0-1); Save - none; Home runs: Mil - Stephen Vogt (12); StL - Paul DeJong (25), Jose Martinez (14)

Box Score

The Milwaukee Brewers’ battery of Chase Anderson and Stephen Vogt worked through a beautiful game on the mound, and Vogt drove in the first three Brewers’ runs as the Crew kept the pressure on the Colorado Rockies with a 4-1 win at Busch Stadium in St. Louis tonight. The win over the Cardinals guarantees the Brewers second place in the NL Central, and means they get to play at least one more meaningful ballgame this season. Colorado beat the Dodgers 9-1.

Anderson gave up a lead-off single to Greg Garcia and then retired the next ten (six groundouts) before Paul DeJong homered with one down in the bottom of the fourth. By that time, Milwaukee had a lead after an RBI single in the second from Vogt off of Cards’ starter John Gant, driving in Travis Shaw, and a solo homer from Vogt with two down in the fourth. That 2-1 lead held until the top of the sixth.

Shaw walked leading off the sixth, and Domingo Santana doubled inside the thirdbase bag down the line (barely fair) to put runners on second and third. Vogt plated the third run with a ground out to second, and Santana beat the throw home on another infield groundball (by Orlando Arcia) with a good jump and an excellent slide from Sunday.

Anderson made that 4-1 lead hold up through his seven plus innings of work. After DeJong’s homer, Chase retired another eight in a row before DeJong singled leading off the seventh. He was quickly erased on a sharp grounder by Jose Martinez that was stabbed by second baseman Walker going to his left; he pivoted on one knee and his quick throw to Arcia started a 4-6-3 double play.

Anderson gave up a lead-off walk in the eighth and Craig Counsell called on Jeremy Jeffress for the remainder of the eighth. Jeffress induced a double play for the first two outs, then retired the side on a strikeout after an infield hit.

Milwaukee added a BMIR in the ninth on an RBI single from Eric Thames driving in Brett Phillips for a 5-1 lead.

Chase ended up with seven plus innings, allowing three hits with the one walk. He struck out five. Anderson ended with thirteen groundball outs. Jeffress had the one inning, one hit, one strikeout, and Corey Knebel worked the ninth in a non-save situation. In true closer fashion, Knebel gave up two runs on a two out, two run homer by Martinez on a fastball down the middle. He struck out pinch hitter Luke Voit to end the game.

Milwaukee turned two double plays in the game, and the Cardinals doubled that double play total with four. Ryan Braun hit into two double plays himself.

The Brewers (85-75) will go with erstwhile ace Junior Guerra (1-4, 4.90) tomorrow afternoon as they hope that Clayton Kershaw can handle the Rockies and make Sunday as exciting as it gets. St. Louis (82-78) sends Luke Weaver (7-2, 3.23) out to try and eliminate Milwaukee. The Brewers need to win both remaining games and have the Rockies lose both to gain a tie for the final Wild Card spot. Go Dodgers...and Brewers!