Singing blues in St. Louis

Offense off track as struggles continue

ST. LOUIS - Brent Suter arrived at Busch Stadium on Tuesday as the Milwaukee Brewers’ 26th man, expected to rack up maybe a few innings out of the bullpen in the team’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals.

But less than a half-hour before game time the left-hander was thrust into a starting role after scheduled starter Brandon Woodruff – also called up earlier in the day to make his major-league debut – had his right hamstring tighten up on him while stretching.

Suter took the ball and put forth a game effort, but the offense didn’t hold up its end. The Brewers managed just six singles against Lance Lynn and a pair of relievers and were shut out by the Cardinals, 6-0.

The Brewers bounced back to grab an 8-5 lead against the Cardinals in the eighth inning in the nightcap, a game that ended too late for this edition.

Keon Broxton, Jesús Aguilar and Travis Shaw each hit solo homers to help give Mil-

waukee a 5-2 lead after four innings. St. Louis chased starter Jimmy Nelson after 5 2⁄3 and tied it at 5-5 on a Matt Carpenter homer off Jared Hughes to lead off the seventh.

Run-scoring singles by Shaw and Manny Piña and a sacrifice fly by Broxton put the Brewers back in front in the eighth.

Suter had last started Sunday but threw only 30 pitches over 1 2⁄3 innings, leaving him relatively fresh for his emergency start in Game 1. He already has had four stints with the Brewers this season.

“I was surprised, to say the least,” he said. “I was in there eating crackers, getting ready for the game, and get the call. I thought it was bad news or something. As it turned out, it was kind of bad news when he went down.

“But 25 minutes later, I’m starting at Busch Stadium.”

Suter allowed just one base-runner over the first three innings and one hit through four in a game played in mid-90s temperatures and stifling humidity.

Lynn (5-3) was equally tough, striking out eight through four innings. He allowed singles to Suter and Eric Sogard and then walked Eric Thames to load the bases with one out in the fifth, but escaped when Hernán Pérez and Shaw both flew out to center.

Suter’s first big mistake came in the fifth, when José Martínez hit a one-out, solo homer to right-center to break the scoreless tie.

With two outs, pinch hitter Chad Huffman tripled into the corner in left and Matt Carpenter followed with a double to center that was just out of the reach of Lewis Brinson and made it 2-0.

Dexter Fowler, up next, blooped a single to short right to give the Cardinals a reverse cycle in the inning and a 3-0 lead. That ended Suter’s day after 87 pitches.

Suter (0-1) allowed five hits, three runs (earned) and a walk, and struck out a pair.

“He pitched outstanding,” manager Craig Counsell said.

St. Louis tacked on two runs against Wily Peralta in the sixth and another in the eighth against Neftali Feliz, putting the game out of reach. TAKEAWAY

The injury suffered by Woodruff was just the start of a lousy Game 1 for the Brewers. Suter

pitched well, but the offense couldn’t do much against Lynn and the bullpen allowed three more runs in relief.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

Counsell said Matt Garza will be reinstated from the 10-day DL and start Wednesday. He had been out with a chest contusion suffered in a collision with Jesús Aguilar on June 3.

Evan Kruczynski, a 2013 graduate of Franklin High School and a member of the school’s 2010 and ‘11 state championship teams, was selected by the Cardinals in the ninth round of the draft Tuesday. The 6-foot-5, 215pound left-handed pitcher from East Carolina was taken 274th overall. STAT SHEET

Suter’s fifth-inning single was his first majorleague hit.

“Just a ground ball that found the hole,” he said. “Was trying to go opposite-field because it was two strikes. Got the bat on the ball and got a hit. “It was awesome.”

Thames drew two walks in four plate appearances, giving him 11 multiple-walk games. That ties him with Chicago’s Anthony Rizzo for the major-league lead. RECORD

This year: 33-32 entering Game 2 (17-19 home; 16-13 away)

Last year: 30-35 NEXT GAME

Wednesday: Brewers at Cardinals, 7:15 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Matt Garza (2-2, 3.83) vs. St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (5-5, 2.70). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.