Broxton stars with bat, glove in Brewers’ 2-1 win over Cards
MILWAUKEE — Keon Broxton did a little bit of everything for the Brewers on Thursday.
Broxton drove in the go-ahead run and saved a run with a leaping catch, Matt Garza made a strong start in his return from the disabled list, and Milwaukee beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1.
Broxton, who robbed Jose Martinez of a homer in the second when he stretched his glove atop the center field wall, gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead with a single in the fifth off reliever Brett Cecil (1-4).
“It was awesome to be able to come out today and do something good for the team,” Broxton said. “I’m just trying to make plays. That’s my job. It’s huge for my confidence, it’s huge for the team’s confidence. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
Garza (5-5), making his first start since July 21 because of a right leg strain, gave up one earned run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings to give second-place Milwaukee its first home series win over St. Louis since July 2012. The Brewers, trying to stay close to first-place Chicago in the NL Central, won for just the fifth time in their last 17 games.
Kolten Wong missed a tying home run by a few feet when his drive to right-center bounced off the wall in the eighth. He was stranded at second when Anthony Swarzak retired Tommy Pham on a groundout and Matt Carpenter on a flyout.
Corey Knebel worked the ninth and struck out Greg Garcia with runners on first and second to earn his 20th save in 25 opportunities.
Cardinals starter Michael Wacha allowed one run on five hits in four innings. With the game tied at 1 in the fifth and runners on first and third, manager Mike Matheny pulled Wacha for pinch-hitter Luke Voit, who hit into an inning-ending double play.
“We have to take a shot, especially when you can see we weren’t getting many opportunities up until that point,” Matheny said. “He was averaging 20 pitches per inning, so he was only going one more inning. We had guys like Cecil that needed to pitch.”
Rockies 5, Mets 4
DENVER — Nolan Arenado
walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the New York Mets.
Charlie Blackmon and Mark Reynolds homered for the Rockies, who maintained a 5 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee for the NL’s second wild card slot.
Mets reliever Hansel Robles began the ninth by hitting Jonathan Lucroy. After a sacrifice by Pat Valaika, Blackmon was intentionally walked and DJ LeMahieu loaded the bases with another walk.
Robles got Arenado down 0-2 but the All-Star third baseman worked the count full. Robles sent his last pitch to the wall behind home plate, bringing in Lucroy with the winning run.
Greg Holland (2-1) pitched the ninth for Colorado. Holland returned after missing two games after cutting his right index finger in his kitchen.
Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the third but Yoenis Cespedes homered and starter Rafael Montero’s run-scoring single in the fifth — his first career RBI — tied it at 2-2.
Blackmon hit his 25th homer in the fifth and Reynolds his 23rd in the sixth to give Colorado leads, but the Mets rallied after each home run to tie the game at 4-4.
D’backs 10, Cubs 8
CHICAGO — Paul Goldschmidt snapped a tie in the ninth inning with his third long homer of the game, and the Arizona Diamondbacks pulled out a rain-delayed victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Goldschmidt hit a 3-2 pitch from Wade Davis (2-1) deep into the right-center bleachers with one out. J.D. Martinez followed Davis with another solo blast off the Cubs closer.
Goldschmidt’s first career three-homer game gave him 25 for the season, and his six RBI matched a career high.
Brandon Drury also homered for Arizona, which remained percentage points ahead of Colorado for the top NL wild card.
Willson Contreras smacked two home runs and had a career high six RBI for Chicago, which lost consecutive games for the first time since the All-Star break. The Cubs’ NL Central lead over Milwaukee slipped to 1½ games.