MILWAUKEE — Jordan Walker’s RBI single on Sunday put his name next to Hall of Famer Ted Williams in the baseball record book.
The problem for the Cardinals was that was their only positive highlight of the day in a loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Walker became the only player 20 years old or younger other than Williams to get a hit in the first nine games of his career since 1913. Williams accomplished that feat in 1939.
It was the second loss in the series to the Brewers and was the fifth loss in their last six games for the Cardinals.
Here is how Sunday’s game broke down:
At the plate: Nolan Arenado led off the fourth inning for the Cardinals with a single, also extending his hitting streak to all nine games, and following a walk by Nolan Gorman, scored on Walker’s single to center … Walker drew the first walk of his career, after falling behind 0-2 in the count, in the eighth, when the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs but failed to score as Willson Contreras struck out, Tommy Edman flied out and Taylor Motter, pinch-hitting for Brendan Donovan, struck out … The Cardinals were just 1-of-10 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base.
On the mound: Jake Woodford allowed three runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings, knocked out of the game by a home run from Willy Adames … After pitching out of a jam in the sixth, Andre Pallante allowed three two-out runs in the seventh that turned a 3-1 game into a 6-1 lead for the Brewers. Pallante allowed four consecutive hits, including a home run from Christian Yelich … Jordan Hicks recorded the final two outs of the seventh before Ryan Helsley, who had not appeared in a game in a week, pitched around a leadoff walk in the eighth.
Key stat: In their last six games, the Cardinals have scored in only nine of 54 innings, and scored multiple runs in only three innings, two two-run innings and the one four-run inning, in their only win in the last week, on Saturday night on two-run homers from Arenado and Walker.
Worth noting: Over their last six games, the Cardinals have a collective .204 average (9-of-44) with runners in scoring position … The MRI on Packy Naughton’s left arm came back clean with no signs of structural damage. The team will let him rest for a few days before deciding on a plan for his return to the bullpen … Lars Nootbaar will test his injured thumb on Monday to try to determine when he will be ready to rejoin the lineup … After going 1-of-9 in three games with Palm Beach, Paul DeJong’s rehab assignment will shift to Memphis on Monday.
Looking ahead: Stephen Matz will get the start on Monday night as the Cardinals’ road trip continues with the first of three games against the Rockies in Denver.