A nice night for a walk
Free passes in the 10th lead to victory
ST. LOUIS – After being shut out in three of their previous five games, the Milwaukee Brewers were not going to turn down a go-ahead gift.
It took a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning for the Brewers to emerge on top to St. Louis, 5-4, after letting a one-run lead slip away in the ninth Monday night at Busch Stadium.
Greg Holland, who signed after the season started to be the Cardinals closer, made his debut and walked four hitters before leaving, including Orlando Arcia on four pitches to break the tie.
Not only did the Brewers let a ninthinning lead slip away, they had outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun exit before the end Monday night.
Already missing one of their new acquisitions, Christian Yelich, on the dis-
abled list with an oblique strain, the Brewers removed Cain after he stepped on the back of St. Louis first baseman Jose Martinez's leg on an infield hit in the ninth. Cain hobbled off and Martinez also departed with an Achilles tendon injury.
Braun left the game after flying out to end the ninth, but no reason was given for his departure.
Albers got his first chance to save a game with a 4-3 lead in the ninth but immediately found trouble. Yadier Molina singled to right, Paul DeJong chopped a hit off Albers' glove and Kolten Wong beat out a bunt for a hit that loaded the bases with no outs.
Pinch-hitter Greg Garcia flied out to shallow center, forcing the runners to hold, but Dexter Fowler followed with a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game. Albers came back out to pitch the 10th, however, and picked up the victory.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
LENDING A HAND: Brewers starter Jhoulys Chacín got through the first two innings unscathed with help from his outfield defense. Fowler led off the bottom of the first with a single but was thrown out by centerfielder Cain trying to stretch it to a double. Leading off the St. Louis second, Marcell Ozuna ripped a double into the left-field corner but was thrown out by Braun from the warning track, going for a triple.
PUTTING ON THE BREAKS: Ahead, 4-3, in the seventh, the Brewers should have scored a run on Braun’s single to right with two on and two down. Jonathan Villar, who has good speed, broke off second base and was waved home by third-base coach Ed Sedar but stumbled after rounding the bag and went back to the base. With the bases loaded, Travis Shaw flied out to right and it stayed a one-run game.
LACK OF COMMAND: Chacín continues to struggle with his command. He threw 83 pitches in 42⁄3 innings, and only 43 were strikes. Chacín does not throw hard, averaging 89 mph with his fastball, and therefore must hit his spots. His slider is critical against right-handed hitters and he has been inconsistent with that pitch as well. The first three starts have been a struggle (6.59 ERA), with 19 hits and seven walks allowed in 132⁄3 innings.
HE WAS FRAMED: Molina was back behind the plate for the Cardinals, no worse for wear after the bench-clearing altercation with Arizona the previous day. It started when Arizona manager Torey Lovullo complained to umpire Tim Timmons about his strike zone, accusing Molina of stealing strikes by “framing” pitches. Lovullo also called Molina a vulgar name setting the catcher off.
“Every catcher’s job is to frame the baseball. Molina is doing his job,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.
GETTING IT GOING: Eric Sogard entered the game with one hit in 14 atbats (.071) for the season but had his stroke back in this one. After lining out to left in his first at-bat, Sogard collected a single and two doubles. The threehit game boosted his batting average to .222, which is a lot better than starting with a zero.
RECORD
This year: 6-5. Last year: 6-5.