Cardinals sputter again vs. Brewers and lose 6th straight

MILWAUKEE — To end their longest losing streak of the season the Cardinals may have to explore a different way to get things started.

Following five innings without a hit to begin Thursday’s shutout loss, the Cardinals managed one hit in the first four innings of Friday’s game. The host Brewers did not have to generate much offense because their visitors kept running into potholes on their way to a 3-2 loss at American Family Field. The Cardinals have scored four runs total in their previous 27 innings going into Saturday’s game, and the loss Friday was their sixth consecutive.

It’s their longest losing streak of the season.

Most of the recent trouble has come at the top of the lineup, where leadoff hitter Lars Nootbaar is struggling to reach base and most of the table-setting has been ahead of the back half. Through eight innings Friday night, the top four batters in the Cardinals’ lineup were a combined 1 for 13, and the top two batters, Nootbaar and Masyn Winn, were 0 for 8. Nootbaar had struck out three times, including twice looking with a teammate on base.

Starters Erick Fedde and Freddy Peralta opened Friday night swapping zeroes and in complete command of the game. Peralta retired the first nine he faced. Fedde responded by retiring the first nine he faced. Neither lineup reached base until the fourth inning, and the teams exited the fifth tied, 1-1.

The Brewers broke the tie in the decisive sixth when the top of their lineup did what the Cardinals could not — reach base, spark a rally and score. Leadoff hitter Sal Frelick scored two runs for the Brewers, including the tiebreaking one on a sacrifice fly in the sixth. No. 2 hitter Jackson Chourio singled and scored in the third to provide insurance.

The Cardinals got the tying run on base against closer Trevor Megill in the ninth inning as Victor Scott II's two-out, RBI single brought the lineup back around to its top and Nootbaar.

Megill struck the leadoff hitter out to secure his 14th save.

The Cardinals finished 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position with four strikeouts, two of them from Nootbaar.

Fedde takes liner to forearm

The reaction from Fedde and his teammates gave the initial impression that his forearm had been shattered or at least deeply bruised by a line drive right back at him in the fourth inning.

The Cardinals’ right-hander matched Milwaukee’s Peralta (6-4) out for out through three innings, and both starters reached the fourth inning having retired all nine batters the faced. The scoreboard – like the Cardinals’ offense over the past several days – was decorated with zeroes. That started to change in the fourth inning, and the Brewers’ assault began with a bruising liner spat back at the Cardinals’ starter.

Milwaukee’s leadoff hitter Frelick stung a 92-mph fastball for a liner that left his bat at 89.5 mph. The drive did not go far before Fedde jabbed his glove out in front of it — but the ball caught him flush on the exposed forearm, near his left wrist.

Fedde turned to give the ricochet chase.

Then he paused, crumpled to the mound and cradled his arm.

Before the play finished, teammates rushed to the mound to check on Fedde. He remained seated there for awhile as the team’s head athletic trainer manipulate his left arm to check for damage and pain. Fedde (3-6) remained in the game — and pitched out of trouble in the same inning to limit the damage to the inevitable bruise on his forearm and one run.

For a 1-0 lead, Frelick scored from first on William Contreras’ double down the third-base line that pinballed into the corner.

Cardinals end 20-inning drought

Peralta’s recent success against the Cardinals — a 2.42 ERA in four starts against them in 2024 — merged with the Cardinals’ recent lack of success offensively to prolong a scoreless spell.

Shut out in Thursday’s game at American Family Field and stymied by the Blue Jays for much of the homestand finale Wednesday, the Cardinals went down in order in the first, second and third innings. Peralta began his evening by retiring 11 consecutive Cardinals.

When Ivan Herrera slapped a single, Peralta snapped Willson Contreras’ bat to end the fourth inning still dealing zeroes.

That put the Cardinals’ scoreless streak at 20 consecutive innings.

In the 21st, they scored.

Alec Burleson lofted a double to the left-center gap to lead off the fifth inning against Peralta. Nolan Arenado followed by pulling a ball into left field. Burleson scored easily, and Arenado slid into second swimmingly. The veteran third base dove headfirst toward the base with both arms extended — as the sweep tag came toward him, he pulled back his left hand and reached to the back of the base with his right to avoid the tag and claim the RBI double.

He stood there with no outs in the inning and did not budge.

With a walk to No. 9 hitter Michael Siani mixed in, three of the next four batters struck out or flew out to unplug the inning. Nootbaar took a called-third-strike change-up from Peralta to end the inning.

Chourio slides away with lead

The Brewers’ pull-ahead rally in the sixth inning hinged on two slides by second-year star Chourio – both of which inspired a Cardinals fielder to wave vigorously for a replay challenge.

Following Frelick’s leadoff single and stolen base in the sixth, Chourio sent a single to center field. As if expecting the throw and his teammate to converge at home, Chourio sped around first to race for second behind the play. Frelick didn’t dare to go beyond third, and that momentarily caught Chourio between the bases.

So he bolted for second anyway.

The throw to the base appeared to arrive ahead of the young outfielder, but Chourio got his foot to the back of the base. The umpire ruled he got their first. The Cardinals protested. The dugout challenged. And the replay officials in Manhattan could not find an angle that conclusively overturned the call on the field; they let it stand. Chourio wasn’t done defying the brush of a Cardinals’ glove.

Frelick broke the 1-1 tie by scoring on William Contreras’ sacrifice fly, and that put Chourio at first and chased Fedde from the game.

The Cardinals brought lefty Steven Matz in.

And then brought the infield in.

Matz got the necessary ground ball from Christian Yelich, but the high hop meant second baseman Nolan Gorman had to momentarily leave his feet. He slung the throw home to catcher Pedro Pages. The mitt dropped on Chourio’s shin — but his foot had skimmed the plate. Pages waved for a replay, but after reviewing the video the Cardinals did not challenge. Chourio had slid his way to the 3-1 lead.