Brewers Fall Hard to Cards (6-1)

It was yet another pitcher’s contest at American Family Field...at least through a regulation nine. Despite a gem by Freddy Peralta, the Brewers fell short and fell hard to the Cardinals.

The Brewers had a regulation game full of missed opportunities on offense and lost a narrow lead on a few defensive missteps in the eighth. That brought the game to extras where the Crew fell apart on all-out offensive blunders and one extra-inning that got completely got away from Brad Boxberger.

Freddy Peralta was so brilliant across seven shutout innings, it was easy to forget his eight strikeouts were below his 14.9 strikeouts per 9 innings on the season. Freddy’s fastball was working for him, but his slider was the real standout of the night. Five of his eight strikeouts came on his slider, three on the fastball. He had seventeen swings and misses on the night. He allowed only one hit, no runs, and one walk.

The Cardinal’s pitching was also effective.

Four of the Brewers’ first five hits were doubles, but for the most part, these were timed so their hitters were left stranded in scoring position at the end of the inning. That changed in the sixth inning when Lorenzo Cain was on second after a leadoff double. Travis Shaw sent a ground-rule double over the left-center fence to score Cain and bring the Brewers up 1-0

Devin Williams came on in the eighth inning and allowed a leadoff base hit to Harrison Bader, and Bader eventually came around to score. Matt Carpenter walked to put runners at first and second with nobody out and Tommy Edmond coming to the plate. Edmond popped out, but Cardinal speed and slightly late throws to third and second allowed runners to advance to both bags. Dylan Carlson hit a sac fly that wasn’t all that deep to left field, but it didn’t need to be for the speedy Bader to score and tie the game.

It was a game characterized by frustrating offensive moments. Despite their scant offensive production, the Brewers had plenty of hard-hit balls. The Brewers won the hit column by a longshot but could hardly get a hit with runners in scoring position. At the end of the night, the Crew was 1-15 with runners in scoring position. They left twelve on base.

One particularly frustrating moment came in the eighth. Trying to rally, Tyrone Taylor attempted to steal second after being hit by a pitch. Taylor was initially called safe, but the call was overturned in the replay, which showed Tommy Edman’s foot blocking Taylor’s hand from the bag.

Josh Hader worked a fifteen-pitch 1-2-3 ninth inning to give the Brewers a chance to walk it off in the ninth. The three Brewers came to the plate in the ninth and three batters absolutely smoked three balls for three outs. Manny Piña hit a liner 102 mph to deep-left center, but Harrison Bader ranged over to grab it. Jackie Bradley Jr. was up to bat next and drove an eighth-pitch change-up to right-center and deep, and Bader ranged over to catch it at the warning track. Billy McKinney hit a 100 mph liner to right, which was caught to end the inning.

J.P. Feyereisen had an effective scoreless tenth inning, inducing three in-play outs and allowing a walk.

Things fell apart for the Crew in the eleventh inning with Brad Boxberger on the mound. Box allowed two home runs in the inning. Brewer killer Paul Goldschmidt homered to score Tommy Edmond who began the inning on second. Tyler O’Neill hit a three-run home run to bring the Cardinals up 6-1 at the bottom of the eleventh.

The Crew put together a threat in the bottom of the inning when Alex Reyes lost the strike zone completely and loaded the bases with only one out. By the time Jackie Bradley Jr. came to the place, Reyes only could only get near the strike zone with his slider, so the Brewers had the advantage of having the bases loaded with one out and basically knowing what pitch was coming. Somehow, JBJ and Billy McKinney each struck out on three pitches to end the game with the bases loaded and the Cardinals up 6-1

Tough L, Brewer’s fans. Here’s some racing sausages to cheer you up -