In a crucial showdown in the National League Central, the Milwaukee Brewers showcased their power and pitching as they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 on Wednesday. With this victory, the Brewers reduced their magic number to clinch the NL Central title to just five games.
Milwaukee’s offense wasted no time in asserting itself, jumping on Cardinals pitcher Zack Thompson in the first inning. A double by William Contreras and a walk to Willy Adames set the stage for Josh Donaldson, who delivered a three-run homer. This marked Donaldson’s second home run since joining the Brewers.
The Cardinals managed to respond with a run in the bottom of the first inning, as Lars Nootbaar led off with a double and Paul Goldschmidt’s single brought him home. However, Brewers starter Adrian Houser settled in, retiring the next two batters to limit the damage.
The Brewers extended their lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning when Tyrone Taylor launched a solo home run, showcasing their power at the plate.
St. Louis showed resilience by narrowing the gap to 4-2 in the eighth inning. A two-out rally led to an RBI single by Richie Palacios, driving in Jordan Walker, who had singled, and Ivan Herrera, who was hit by a pitch. Despite the threat, Brewers reliever Joel Payamps managed to escape further trouble.
The game was put firmly out of reach in the ninth inning when Milwaukee unleashed a two-out offensive surge. Tyrone Taylor delivered his second home run of the game, his ninth of the season, and the Brewers continued to rally. Sal Frelick hit a double, Andruw Monasterio added a single, and Blake Perkins drew a walk. Mark Canha then cleared the bases with a three-run double, expanding the lead to 8-2.
On the pitching front, Adrian Houser secured his seventh win of the season, continuing his strong recent form. Over six innings, he limited the Cardinals to just one run on four hits while striking out four and walking two. Meanwhile, Zack Thompson took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing four runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out four and issued one walk.
A concerning note for St. Louis was the early departure of catcher Willson Contreras, who left the game after six innings due to left wrist discomfort.
With this convincing win, the Brewers demonstrated their ability to maintain their lead in the NL Central race, showcasing a potent combination of power hitting and quality pitching.
