Brice Turang’s tiebreaking two-run single keyed a four-run eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers earned an 8-4 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Friday in the opener of the teams’ final regular-season series.
Jackson Chourio singled to open the eighth off Luis Gastelum (5-4). Justin Bruihl took over on the mound and hit David Hamilton with a pitch. Bruihl threw wildly to first on Garrett Mitchell’s bunt to load the bases, and Turang followed with his hit through the left side to put Milwaukee up 6-4.
Mitchell and Turang advanced on an error by reliever Cade Winquest, and William Contreras followed with an RBI single. Jake Bauers added a sacrifice fly to make it 8-4.
Abner Uribe (6-3) got the win with a scoreless eighth.
Milwaukee (101-59), which has won four consecutive National League Central titles, had previously clinched a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Brewers have won three in a row and six out of seven.
Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson homered in a three-run seventh as St. Louis (77-83) rallied to it 4-all.
Held to one hit, Ivan Herrera’s solo homer, through six innings by Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser, the Cardinals rallied against Bryse Wilson, who was activated off the injured list earlier Friday.
Walker opened the seventh with his 29th homer. Leo Bernal singled and Burleson tied it with a pinch-hit two-run blast, his 25th, off the right field foul pole.
Gasser retired the first 10 hitters he faced before allowing Herrera’s 19th homer. The only other runner off Gasser came on Masyn Wynn’s two-out walk in the fifth. Gasser fanned nine in his six innings.
The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the first on Turang’s RBI double.
After Herrera went deep in the fourth, Milwaukee answered in the bottom of the frame on Luis Lara’s RBI fielder’s choice to go up 2-1.
The Brewers added two runs in the fifth on Bauer’s RBI single and Chourio’s bases-loaded walk.
Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz left the game in the eighth inning and appeared to be limping when he entered the dugout.
Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy permitted four runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two as St. Louis lost for the seventh time in nine games.
