There was never any doubt about it
Gonzalez gets shelled early
This was no way for the Milwaukee Brewers to begin their most important stretch of the season.
With starter Gio Gonzalez getting tagged for eight runs in the first two innings, the Brewers were out of the game almost before it started Monday night, getting routed by firstplace St. Louis, 12-2, at Miller Park.
It was the first game of a crucial 12-game stretch against contending for the third-place Brewers, who need to make a push to stay in the thick of the playoff race. Instead, they dropped a season-high 5 1/2 games out in the NL Central, and 2 1⁄2 games behind the idle Chicago Cubs for the second wild-card spot.
The game quickly became a romp for the streaking Cardinals, with Gonzalez taking his team out of it with a horrible start. The Cardinals scored twice in the first inning on Yadier Molina's two-run single with two outs, then sent 11 hitters to the plate in the second while scoring six more runs for an 8-0 lead.
That outburst started with a oneout, run-scoring single to center by Dexter Fowler. Tommy Edman followed with a single and Paul Goldschmidt drew his second walk, loading the bases for Marcell Ozuna, who promptly unloaded them with a three-run double.
After Paul DeJong walked and Molina reached on an error by third baseman Mike Moustakas to load the bases again, Gonzalez struck out Matt Carpenter. But Harrison Bader, who began the inning with an infield hit, lined a ground-run double to left to send home two more runs to cap the six-run outburst.
Bader's infield hit, a wicked onehopper that Moustakas deflected into the air, bruised the left wrist and palm of the Brewers' third baseman, who exited the game in the third inteams
ning.
Gonzalez would recover to go five innings, saving some of the Brewers' bullpen, but allowed nine hits and nine runs (seven earned), as his earned run average ballooned from 3.64 to 4.34.
The Brewers trimmed a run off the lead in the bottom of the inning when Eric Thames tripled with one down off Adam Wainwright and scored on Cory Spangenberg's single through the left side. But Molina returned the lead to eight runs with a two-out homer off Gonzalez in the fourth.
Despite the luxury of that 9-1 lead, Wainwright did not make it out of the bottom of the inning. He surrendered an RBI double by Lorenzo Cain with two down and was removed from the game after walking Yasmani Grandal. John Grant came on to walk Christian Yelich to load the bases before retiring Keston Hiura on an infield pop.
The St. Louis lead was extended to 11-2 in the sixth when DeJong crushed a two-run homer off the bottom of the scoreboard in center off reliever Jay Jackson. DeJong added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to cap the scoring for the Cardinals.
The Brewers began the season by winning five of the first six games from the Cardinals but have gone 1-7 since. St. Louis has gone 28-14 since the all-star break while Milwaukee has spun its wheels at 20-20.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
Chacín given his release: The Brewers announced the outright release of veteran right-hander Jhoulys Chacín, who had been designated for assignment on Saturday. Chacín is now free with any team and expressed hope of latching on with a team for the stretch run. He was on the Brewers' injured list with a latissimus dorsi strain but was on track to return to action in a couple of weeks.
Saladino has shoulder exam: Infielder Tyler Saladino, who had a midseason stint with the Brewers before returning to Class AAA San Antonio, came to Milwaukee on Monday to have an MRI on his ailing left shoulder. The Brewers were awaiting results of that test but were hopeful that no structural damage would be detected, allowing Saladino to return to the majors in September. Missions catcher David Freitas, another possible September call-up on the 40-man roster, has been sidelined with an intercostal strain. He leads the PCL with a .386 batting average and was named a league all-star Monday.
Suter allows no rehab runs: Lefthander Brent Suter made his last appearance Sunday on minor-league rehab for San Antonio, pitching four shutout innings with one hit and no walks while logging six strikeouts. In stops in the Arizona Rookie League, Class AA Biloxi and the Missions, Suter pitched 16 2/3 scoreless innings, with only four hits and three walks, and 25 strikeouts. He will be one of the Brewers' September call-ups on Sunday. Jimmy Nelson also is expected to be added after several recent strong outings with San Antonio. The Brewers will have to open 40man roster spots for both Suter and Nelson, who are on the 60-day injured list.
Claudio first to 70: Brewers lefty Alex Claudio became the first reliever to get to 70 appearances for the season. He went 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit, three walks and one run, snapping a string of 10 consecutive scoreless outings.
Feliciano promoted to Biloxi: The Brewers promoted one of their top prospects, catcher Mario Feliciano, from advanced Class A Carolina to Biloxi. Feliciano, 20, was voted the most valuable player of the Carolina League, batting .272 with 25 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs, 81 RBI, .477 slugging, 48 extra-base hits and 210 total bases.
RECORD
This year: 67-64 Last year: 72-59
ATTENDANCE
Monday: 29,475
This year: 2,360,235 (35,761 avg.) Last year: 2,287,615 (34,661 avg.)
COMING UP
Tuesday: Cardinals at Brewers, 6:40 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Adrian Houser (6-5, 3.62) vs. St. Louis RHP Miles Mikolas (7-13, 4.43). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.