Brewers 8-0, Cardinals 5-6: Milwaukee manages split

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

ST. LOUIS - Brent Suter arrived at Busch Stadium on Tuesday as the Milwaukee Brewers' 26th man, expected to rack up maybe a few innings out of the bullpen in the team's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals.

But less than a half-hour before game time the left-hander was thrust into a starting role after scheduled starter Brandon Woodruff – one of the organization's top prospects also called up earlier in the day to make his major-league debut – had his right hamstring tighten up on him while stretching.

Suter took the ball and put forth a game effort, but the offense didn't hold up its end. The Brewers managed just six singles against Lance Lynn and a pair of relievers and were shut out by the Cardinals, 6-0.

The Brewers then bounced back to grab an 8-5 lead against the Cardinals in the eighth inning in Game 2 and held it, earning a split.

Keon Broxton, Jesús Aguilar and Travis Shaw each hit solo homers to help give Milwaukee a 5-2 lead after four innings in the nightcap. St. Louis chased starter Jimmy Nelson after 5 2/3 and tied it at 5-5 on a Matt Carpenter homer off Jared Hughes that led off the seventh.

Run-scoring singles by Shaw and Manny Piña and a sacrifice fly by Broxton put the Brewers back in front in the eighth.

"It wasn’t the biggest number we’ve put on the board, but to me it was as good an offensive game as we’ve had this year," manager Craig Counsell said. "The eighth inning was great at-bats, up and down the lineup. Really impressive.

"Hit some home runs and then we put together a good rally with great at-bats in the eighth."

At 34-32, the Brewers ended the night with the lone winning record in the National League Central.

Suter had last started Sunday but threw only 30 pitches over 1 2/3 innings, leaving him relatively fresh for his emergency start in Game 1. He already has had four stints with the Brewers this season.

GAME 2 BOX SCORE: Brewers 8, Cardinals 5

GAME 1 BOX SCORE: Cardinals 6, Brewers 0

RELATED: Brewers' minor-league report

MLB: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, schedules

"I was surprised, to say the least," he said. "I was in there eating crackers, getting ready for the game, and get the call. I thought it was bad news or something. As it turned out, it was kind of bad news when he went down.

"But 25 minutes later, I’m starting at Busch Stadium."

Suter allowed just one base-runner over the first three innings and one hit through four in a game played in mid-90s temperatures and stifling humidity.

Lynn (5-3) was equally tough, striking out eight through four innings. He allowed singles to Suter and Eric Sogard and then walked Eric Thames to load the bases with one out in the fifth, but escaped when Hernán Pérez and Shaw both flew out to center.

Suter's first big mistake came in the fifth, when José Martínez hit a one-out, solo homer to right-center to break the scoreless tie.

With two outs, pinch hitter Chad Huffman tripled into the corner in left and Matt Carpenter followed with a double to center that was just out of the reach of Lewis Brinson and made it 2-0.

Dexter Fowler, up next, blooped a single to short right to give the Cardinals a reverse cycle in the inning and a 3-0 lead. That ended Suter's day after 87 pitches.

"If I could have gotten through five or six it would have been really cool," said Suter, who was optioned back to Class AAA Colorado Springs after the second game. "But I left it all out there for the team."

Suter (0-1) allowed five hits, three runs (earned) and a walk, and struck out a pair.

"He pitched outstanding," Counsell said. "He didn’t deserve to give up three runs. He gave up a couple bloopers at the end that kind of got him.

"But he did a heck of a job."

St. Louis tacked on two runs against Wily Peralta in the sixth and another in the eighth against Neftali Feliz, putting the game out of reach.

As for Woodruff, the 24-year-old's debut will have to wait. The team cleared room for him by designating Rob Scahill for assignment before the game.

"I feel terrible for the kid," Counsell said.

Woodruff said he felt the tightness while stretching and never even made it to the bullpen to warm up. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list after the game, and Paolo Espino was recalled from Colorado Springs.

"I’ve never had any injuries – that’s the one thing that’s very disappointing," Woodruff said. "I came out here and I was ready to go. I felt ready. Went through my normal routine, felt good and loose and it just happened.

"It was just one of those freak things I can’t control."

TAKEAWAY

The injury suffered by Woodruff was just the start of a lousy Game 1 for the Brewers. Suter pitched well, but the offense couldn't do much against Lynn and the bullpen allowed three more runs in relief. The offense finally came alive in Game 2, with the entire lineup contributing.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

• Woodruff had been poised to become the fifth Brewers player to make his major-league debut this season and fourth in just the last nine days.

Espino was the first May 19, then outfielder Brett Phillips (June 5), left-hander Josh Hader (June 10) and outfielder Brinson (June 11) followed.

• Brinson collected his first major-league hit in the third on a slow chopper down the third-base line that Greg Garcia wasn't able to handle.

"It feels good. Definitely want to get that first one out of the way," he said. "Now I can just play baseball. As hard as I hit it – and I scorched that ball – they all count the same. I'm going to tell my grandkids that it was a hard line drive down the line."

It was the only hit on the day for Brinson, who started both games and finished 1 for 9.

• Evan Kruczynski, a 2013 graduate of Franklin High School and a member of the school's 2010 and '11 state championship teams, was selected by the Cardinals in the ninth round of the draft Tuesday. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound left-handed pitcher from East Carolina was taken 274th overall.

STAT SHEET

• Suter's fifth-inning single was his first major-league hit.

"Just a ground ball that found the hole," he said. "Was trying to go opposite-field because it was two strikes. Got the bat on the ball and got a hit.

"It was awesome."

• Shaw's fourth-inning homer in Game 2 was the 40th of his career and the RBI was the 150th of his career.

RECORD

This year: 34-32 (17-19 home; 17-13 away)

Last year: 30-36

NEXT GAME

Wednesday: Brewers at Cardinals, 7:15 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Matt Garza (2-2, 3.83) vs. St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (5-5, 2.70). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.