Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals Box Score on Sep 30, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 30, 2017

ST. LOUIS -- Harrison Bader's two-strike, two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday capped a stunning rally from a 6-0 third-inning deficit as the St. Louis Cardinals eliminated the Milwaukee Brewers from playoff consideration with a 7-6 win at Busch Stadium.

Bader's hit off Anthony Swarzak (4-4) scored Stephen Piscotty, who had tied the game earlier in the eighth with a two-run single. Piscotty was initially called out at second trying to advance on the throw home, which was cut off, but a replay review overturned Greg Gibson's call.

Milwaukee (85-76) had to win its last two games and hope that Colorado lost its last two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers to force a one-game playoff for the National League's second wild card.

Instead, the Rockies clinched their postseason berth before their game Saturday night.

Ryan Sherriff (2-1) got the win with a scoreless eighth inning as St. Louis (83-78), which was eliminated from playoff consideration Thursday night, took its Central Division rival down with it.

Milwaukee scored in the second on Orlando Arcia's sacrifice fly, then exploded for five runs in the third. Ryan Braun drilled an RBI double to left, Travis Shaw stroked a two-run single to right-center and Domingo Santana cracked a two-run homer to right-center, his 30th of the year.

The Cardinals responded with four in their half of the third. Paul DeJong blooped a two-run double just inside the right field line and Jose Martinez tacked on a ground-rule double to right-center that scored Tommy Pham and DeJong.

Neither starter was involved in the decision. Brewers right-hander Junior Guerra pitched 2 1/3 innings, permitting two hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts.

St. Louis' Luke Weaver lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up nine hits and six runs. He walked four and whiffed four.

Milwaukee outhit the Cardinals 13-8, but left 11 men on base.

The last of those was pinch-runner Quintin Berry, who stole second after Arcia's two-out infield single in the ninth. But Juan Nicasio fanned Brett Phillips with a fastball for his sixth save.

NOTES: Milwaukee RHP Corey Knebel entered Saturday's game with 126 strikeouts, the most for any reliever since the Yankees' Dellin Betances collected 126 last year. ... St. Louis RHP Alex Reyes (elbow) threw a bullpen session, a reminder of what the Cardinals missed this year and could have next year. Reyes underwent Tommy John surgery during spring training, and might be a mainstay of next year's rotation. ... St. Louis' lineup Saturday again missed five everyday players, including 2B Kolten Wong (back), CF Dexter Fowler and 3B Jedd Gyorko.