Final
Cardinals try to extend win streak against Brewers
May 7, 2011 - 2:35 PMVideo
After winning Thursday's rubber match with the Marlins, the Cardinals opened up this series with a convincing 6-0 victory behind Jaime Garcia's near perfection. The left-hander retired the first 22 batters he faced before his bid for a perfect game ended with a one-out walk to Casey McGehee in the eighth inning. Yuniesky Betancourt followed with a single to end the no- hitter, but Corey Hart then hit into a double play.
Garcia had to settle for a two-hit shutout, his second of the season, that upped his season record to 4-0 and lowered his earned run average to 1.99.
"It's so hard not to think about [the perfect game]," Garcia said. "This is definitely one of the greatest days of my short career. It was very exciting."
Albert Pujols paced the offense with three runs batted in for the Cardinals, who have won three of four. Yadier Molina hit a solo homer and Matt Holliday extended his hitting streak to 12 straight games for a Cardinals club that is averaging 6.2 runs per game over the first five contests of a seven-game homestand.
St. Louis did lose shortstop Ryan Theriot to a bruised left shin after he was hit by a pitch and his status for this game is unknown.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, is now averaging just one run per game over a season- worst seven-game slide, the club's longest since dropping nine in a row from May 10-19 of last year. In getting shut out for the third time on its skid, Milwaukee gave starter Randy Wolf little chance, though the left-hander himself gave up six runs over five innings.
"My command was the worst it's been all year," Wolf said.
Hoping to avoid his first loss since April 4 this afternoon will be Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse, who had a four-start winning streak end on Monday when he did not factor into the decision of a 6-5 loss to the Marlins.
The 32-year-old righty did yield a season-high five runs -- four on a grand slam in the third inning -- on six hits and three walks in six innings. Lohse also took a ball off his right shin in the third inning, but stayed in the game.
"I give Kyle all the credit," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told his team's website. "He got blasted pretty well and he gave us some innings. He just had that one inning where bases loaded and he made a pitch and the guy hit it out of the park. He could have limped off the field when he got blasted, and he stayed in there."
Lohse is 4-1 with a 2.44 ERA in six starts this year and 3-6 with a 5.36 ERA in his career against the Brewers in 16 games (14 starts).
Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo will try to put his recent struggles behind him and pick up his first career victory against the Cardinals when he starts this afternoon.
Since a two-hit shutout victory over the Braves on April 5, Gallardo is 1-2 with an 8.89 ERA, yielding 26 runs in 26 1/3 innings. He lost in Atlanta on Monday, giving up five runs on nine hits and a season-high four walks in five- plus innings, though he did match a season best with seven strikeouts.
The 25-year-old is 2-2 with a 6.10 ERA in seven starts this season and 0-4 with a 5.63 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis.
The Brewers have won four of their past six versus the Cardinals.
- MILWAUKEE: 4
ST. LOUIS: 0
Final
May 7 7:24 PM - Yovani Gallardo sacrifice fly out to left scored Carlos Gomez.. None on with two outs and Rickie Weeks due up.
Brewers 4, Cardinals 0 Top 9, 2 OutsMay 7 7:24 PM - Carlos Gomez tripled to right scored Casey McGehee and Mark Kotsay. Runner on third with one out and Yovani Gallardo due up.
Brewers 3, Cardinals 0 Top 9, 1 OutMay 7 7:24 PM - 277
roots - 249
roots - 221
roots - Casey McGehee doubled to left center scored Prince Fielder. On the play Casey McGehee out at thirdon throw, center to short to first to third to end the inning.
Brewers 1, Cardinals 0 Mid 3May 7 7:21 PM - MILWAUKEE: 0
ST. LOUIS: 0
Final
May 7 7:20 PM - MILWAUKEE: 0
ST. LOUIS: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
May 7 7:20 PM
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