Cards, Brewers make playoffs
ST. LOUIS — Harrison Bader tripled and homered to help the Cardinals clinch a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season with a 5-2 win over the Brewers, who also earned a playoff spot Sunday via help on the West Coast moments later.
The Cardinals (30-28) will be the fifth seed in the NL and open a three-game wild-card series against the Padres on Wednesday in San Diego.
The Brewers (29-31) locked up the eighth seed and a third consecutive postseason berth after the Padres beat Giants 5-4. The Giants finished with an identical record as the Brewers but lost out on a tiebreaker due to an inferior intradivision record.
The Brewers will face the top-seeded Dodgers in Los Angeles in a threegame series that also starts Wednesday.
The Brewers haven’t had a winning record at any point this season. The Brewers and Astros will be the first teams ever to qualify for the playoffs with a losing mark.
Cardinals starter Austin Gomber allowed one run, one hit and two walks and struck out three over four innings.
Giovanny Gallegos (2-0), Genesis Cabera and Alex Reyes combined to pitch the final five innings. Reyes got his first save.
Brett Anderson (4-4) surrendered a triple to Bader and a walk to Tyler O’Neill to start the third inning before departing with a blister on his left index finger.
Anderson opened the season on the IL with a blister on the same finger and did not make his debut until Aug. 3.