No Contest: Cardinals beat Brewers, 6-1

WP: Michael Wacha (6-1); LP: Zach Davies (2-5); Save: none; Home runs: StL - Harrison Bader (4), Matt Carpenter (7), Fernando Pena (2); Mil - none

feel free to ignore this Box Score

The St. Louis Cardinals (29-23) scored four times in the top of the second inning tonight off of Zach Davies at Miller Park, and that was more than enough for Michael Wacha to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers (35-21), with a final of 6-1.

Wacha worked 6 ²⁄₃ innings without allowing a run, although Manny Pina scored and was charged to him after he left in the seventh. He was driven in on a two out double from pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar.

That left runners at second and third with Lorenzo Cain at the plate and the Brewers down 5-1, but Cain was called in on a pitch well inside to end the inning and upset LoCain. He ended his night 0 for 4 with bookend one hoppers to third in his first two at bats and two strikeouts.

For the second start in a row, Davies was largely ineffective. Since coming back from his DL stint he has been unable to locate his pitches and has been about three MPH slower on his fastball. Tonight he worked five innings, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, three walks, and four strikeouts. He also hit a batter. He gave up homers to Harrison Bader and Matt Carpenter (shocker). He also induced three double plays (which is easier when you give up lots of baserunners), two of them from Tommy Pham. Pham would have had a third double play but Carpenter was running on a grounder to third in the first. When he wasn’t going for double plays, Pham struck out twice.

The final Cardinals’ run came on a long homer to center by Cards sub catcher Francisco Pina off of Dan Jennings in the eighth inning. Boone Logan had a scoreless inning with one hit, and Jacob Barnes and Taylor Williams had perfect innings with a strikeout.

Wacha had a no-hitter into the fifth when Hernan Perez blooped a single into center. That should have been an out, as Pham broke back on the ball and couldn’t overcome the bad break. Singles from Eric Sogard and Villar’s double in the seventh were the only other hits.

Shortstop Tyler Saladino twisted his ankle on the final out of the third on a force out at second, and was replaced by Sogard. X-rays were negative. In his post-game interview Craig Counsell said a DL stind for Tyler was coming, and a return by Orlando Arcia from AAA Colorado Springs would seem the logical move.

Tomorrow afternoon’s 12:10 start (Facebook game) will see the Cards go with top prospect Alex Reyes, making his first major league start since 2016, after Tommy John surgery. Reyes was 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in ‘16. So far this season in the minors he was 3-0 with a 0 ERA, with 44 strikeouts in 23 innings. He will be opposed by Junior Guerra (3-3, 2.98 ERA).