ST. LOUIS — Fans attending the game at Busch Stadium on Saturday got to see an offense hit three homers among its 18 hits that led to 12 runs.
Unfortunately for most in the crowd of 41,000-plus, it was the Brewers that were demonstrating what a productive offense looks like – something the Cardinals have been unable to do except on a rare occasion this season.
On a day when they actually scored more than three runs – for only the second time in their last 12 games – it was the pitching staff that faltered.
A three-run second inning gave Miles Mikolas a 4-2 lead but that lasted only for an inning, before the Brewers got back-to-back homers from their eighth and ninth-place hitters to take a 5-4 lead in the fourth, sending them to their second consecutive win in the series.
Those two blasts gave the Brewers three homers off Mikolas in a span of 14 at-bats. The Cardinals last three homers have come in their last 288 at-bats. None of those homers have come in their last seven games, a streak that has now reached 222 at-bats.
The 12 runs and 18 hits were each the most the Cardinals have allowed in a game this season.
Here is how Saturday’s game broke down:
At the plate: Four of the Cardinals’ six hits came in the first two innings, when they scored0 four of their five runs. Nolan Arenado doubled in a run in the first – their first first-inning run in eight home games to begin this season. They loaded the bases with nobody out in the second and got the three runners home on a sacrifice fly from Brendan Donovan, a groundout from Paul Goldschmidt and a single by Willson Contreras, which extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games … Their only hit after the fourth was a leadoff single by Michael Siani in the ninth and he later scored on Arenado’s sacrifice fly … Goldschmidt was 1-of-4 with two strikeouts as his streak without an extra-base hit grew to 73 at-bats.
On the mound: Mikolas allowed five runs for the third time in his five starts this season, hiking his ERA to 6.49. The two homers in the third both came on two-strike pitches … Zack Thompson made his first appearance in 10 days and was charged with three runs after Giovanny Gallegos allowed two runners he inherited from Thompson to score … The Brewers final three runs came off Andre Pallante.
Key stat: The Cardinals have now been out-homered 26-13 for the season. The only team with fewer home runs is the White Sox (10), who were 3-16 before their game on Saturday night. The Cardinals have allowed the fifth most homers in the majors and are tied with the Dodgers for the most allowed in the NL.
Worth noting: One of the Brewers’ home runs and their stolen base came from 20-year-old Jackson Chourio, who became the youngest player to do both in a game against the Cardinals since 19-year-old Freddie Lindstrom in 1925. Fernando Tatis Jr. was 137 days older than Chourio when he did both in a game in 2019, according to Baseball Reference.com … The Brewers have won their last five games at Busch Stadium dating back to last year and seven of their last eight … The current three-game losing streak is the longest of the season for the Cardinals.
Looking ahead: Sonny Gray will get the start on Sunday as the Cardinals try to avoid being swept in the three-game series. Gray has not allowed a run in a combined 11 innings over two starts in his injury-delayed start to the season. The Cardinals are 0-6 in the final game of a series this season.