×

Brewers rally to edge Cardinals 2-1 in doubleheader opener

Cardinals take game 2, 3-2 in 9 innings

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Keston Hiura hit a sacrifice fly to score Avisail Garcia with the winning run in the eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to edge the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader Monday.

The Cardinals broke a scoreless tie in the top of the eighth when Tommy Edman’s two-out single up the middle off Freddy Peralta (2-1) brought home Tyler O’Neill, who had started the inning on second base under Major League Baseball’s new extra-inning format.

The Brewers answered off reliever Ryan Helsley (1-1) in the bottom of the eighth.

Avisail Garcia’s leadoff walk put runners on first and second. Helsley struck out Christian Yelich, but Ryan Braun followed with a double off the center-field wall that scored Tyrone Taylor and advanced Garcia to third.

Austin Gomber replaced Helsley and walked Jace Peterson to load the bases before Hiura hit his fly to left. Garcia scored without a throw.

Milwaukee’s rally in the eighth snapped the Brewers’ string of 21 consecutive scoreless innings. Chicago Cubs right-hander Alec Mills threw a no-hitter against them Sunday in a 12-0 blowout.

Monday’s doubleheader opened a three-day, five-game series between these NL Central rivals who were facing each other for the first time this season. The Brewers are playing the Cardinals 10 times over their last 16 games.

Milwaukee was supposed to open its home schedule against St. Louis on July 31, but the Cardinals had a coronavirus outbreak that caused that weekend series to get postponed.

The opener of this doubleheader was a pitchers’ duel between St. Louis’ Kwang Hyun Kim and Milwaukee’s Josh Lindblom, who both spent last season in the Korea Baseball Organization.

“Lindblom pitched well today and I I also think I pitched well today, but I just wish the KBO’s other players who will will come to the MLB later on do well here as well,” Kim said through an interpreter. “So (it) just was a wonderful day today.”

Kim struck out six and allowed three hits and three walks after getting activated from the injured list. Since earned runs became an official statistic in 1912, Kim is the first NL pitcher to have four straight starts in a season in which he threw at least five innings while allowing three or fewer hits and no earned runs.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today