St. Louis Cardinals 2–3 Milwaukee Brewers: match recap

Match recap

St. Louis edged Milwaukee 2-0 in a pitchers' duel, with Alec Burleson's solo homer providing the only offense beyond a first-inning run. Quinn Mathews and the Cardinals bullpen shut down a Brewers lineup that managed just two hits.

The Cardinals struck first in the opening frame when Jordan Walker singled, stole second, and scored on a Thomas Saggese base knock. Alec Burleson padded the lead in the third with a solo home run off Dustin May, who otherwise struck out five over three innings but took the loss. From there, St. Louis's pitching took over: Quinn Mathews worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and the bullpen combination of Bryan Torres and Nathan Church silenced Milwaukee's bats. The Brewers threatened only once, putting two runners on in the fourth, but a strikeout ended the rally. St.

Key factors

• Burleson's solo homer provided the decisive insurance run after an early sacrifice fly.
• St. Louis pitching limited Milwaukee to two hits and retired seven of the last nine batters faced.
• Dustin May's 5 Ks over 3 IP kept the Brewers within striking distance, but the offense never capitalized.

The Analyst's verdict

St. Louis's ability to scratch across two runs against a quality arm like May and then suffocate a potent Brewers lineup with a committee of arms is a blueprint for October. Milwaukee's lack of contact against off-speed stuff is a concern they'll need to address before the playoffs.