The Sports Xchange
Jun 15, 2017
ST. LOUIS -- Eric Thames' two-run homer in the ninth inning Thursday night lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at sold-out Busch Stadium.
Thames lined an 0-2 pitch from Seung Hwan Oh (1-3) 359 feet, just over the wall in right field for his 18th homer of the year. It scored pinch-hitter Jesus Aguilar, who singled with one out to start the rally.
Carlos Torres (3-4) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Oliver Drake, closing because Corey Knebel was apparently unavailable after notching saves in the last two games, picked up his first career save.
Milwaukee (36-32) took three of four games in the series and increased its National League Central lead on the Chicago Cubs to 2 1/2 games. St. Louis (30-35) fell 4 1/2 games off the pace.
Neither starter was involved in the decision. Brewers right-hander Zach Davies allowed nine hits and four runs in five innings, walking none and fanning one.
Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha pitched four-plus innings, giving up seven hits and four runs. He walked three and whiffed five.
St. Louis initiated scoring with two first-inning runs. Stephen Piscotty's RBI hit plated Matt Carpenter, who led off by doubling for the sixth straight game, and Aledmys Diaz legged out an infield single to score Piscotty.
In the second inning, Milwaukee did in one hit what it took the Cardinals five to do -- score twice. Keon Broxton clouted the longest homer in Busch Stadium III history, a 489-foot wallop that landed about 15 rows up in the seats in left-center field.
It was the second-longest homer in the majors this year, trailing only Aaron Judge's 495-foot blast Sunday for the New York Yankees.
The Brewers grabbed a 3-2 lead in the third on Domingo Santana's RBI single, but Dexter Fowler equalized in the bottom of the inning with his 10th homer. It was his first hit in 14 career at-bats against Davies.
Travis Shaw's RBI single in the fifth regained a one-run lead for Milwaukee. But Fowler's single through the shift in the bottom of the inning tied it, scoring Carpenter.
NOTES: St. Louis placed 2B Kolten Wong (right triceps strain) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled INF Paul DeJong from Triple-A Memphis. DeJong hit .244 in his first taste of the big leagues from May 28 to June 11 with a homer and four RBIs. ... Milwaukee assigned RHP Rob Scahill to Triple-A Colorado Springs. The team designated Scahill for assignment before Tuesday's doubleheader. ... Brewers OF Ryan Braun (left calf strain) fielded fly balls during batting practice before Thursday's game, but there's still no timetable for his return from the 10-day DL. Braun, who hit the DL on May 26, is batting .262 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 30 games.