MILWAUKEE — Luken Baker has had only a limited number of opportunities with the Cardinals since his promotion from Memphis last month, but as he showed again Wednesday night, he is ready when they come.
Baker poked a ground ball up the middle with two outs in the 10th inning to drive in Masyn Winn from second base and give the Cardinals their second consecutive extra-inning win over the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Baker has driven in at least one run in the last six games he has played, tied with Alec Burleson for the second longest streak on the team this season. Only Brendan Donovan, who drove in a run in seven games in a row in June, has a longer streak.
The hit came with Baker pinch-hitting for Donovan after the Brewers intentionally walked Nolan Arenado with two outs and then brought in a lefthanded reliever.
Baker has driven in four runs as a pinch-hitter this season, which is tied with Tommy Pham for the most on the team. Pham’s RBIs, of course, came on a grand slam in his first game with the Cardinals after being acquired from the White Sox.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning with both runs scoring on bases-loaded walks. Paul Goldschmidt singled with two outs and went to third on Arenado’s ground-rule double before Donovan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ivan Herrera and Lars Nootbaar drew the run-scoring walks … The Cardinals only had two more hits until Baker’s single in the 10th with their only baserunners from the fifth through the ninth coming on an error and two walks.
On the mound: Sonny Gray protected that early lead through seven innings, stranding four runners in scoring position, before Garrett Mitchell led off the seventh with a triple and scored on a groundout … The lead disappeared on the first pitch after Gray left the game when Eric Haase homered off JoJo Romero leading off the eighth … Andrew Kittredge was able to get out of the inning, stranding the go-ahead runner on third, before working a 1-2-3 ninth … With Ryan Helsley unavailable, Ryan Fernandez worked the 10th and recorded three strikeouts, allowing only an intentional walk … The Cardinals held the Brewers hitless in 15 at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
Key stat: In the three game series, Cardinals pitchers held the Brewers third and fourth place hitters without a hit in 22 combined at-bats.
Worth noting: The Cardinals are 11-8 in the first 19 games of a a 22-game stretch against playoff contending teams … Goldschmidt’s streak of consecutive games with at least one double was snapped at six … Pitching prospect Tink Hence had eight strikeouts in four innings for Springfield on Wednesday night, giving him 108 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings this season.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will have the day off on Thursday before hosting the Mariners this weekend at Busch Stadium, the series that will conclude the tough 22-game stretch.
