Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol speaks with the media on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, after a game vs. the Brewers at Busch Stadium. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)
Instead of taking advantage of a chance to gain ground on the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central standings, the Cardinals offense waited too long to get started and stalled at a crucial time, with the game on the line in a 3-2 loss to the Brewers on Tuesday in the opening game of a three-game series in front of an announced crowd of 30,022 at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals (61-64) have now lost seven of their past eight games. They fell 12 games behind the Brewers with the loss.
The Cardinals offense only mustered one hit and one walk through the first six innings against Brewers starting pitcher Frankie Montas. They didn’t put a runner in scoring position through the first seven innings.
The Cardinals logged their only runs of the night in the eighth inning on a pinch-hit two-run home run by veteran slugger Matt Carpenter. The left-handed-hitting first baseman/designated hitter bashed an 0-1 fastball from Brewers reliever Nick Mears over the right field wall and an estimated 374 feet from home plate.
The Cardinals got the tying run on base in the eighth inning, but they weren’t able to score. In the ninth inning, they loaded the bases via hits by Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado, followed by an intentional walk to Lars Nootbaar.
However, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman struck out to leave the bases loaded at the end of the game.
The Brewers (73-52) have now won 12 of the past 14 meetings between the teams, including seven of the eight games this season.
The Brewers also clinched the season series victory with their win on Tuesday night. They’ve won seven consecutive games at Busch Stadium. The crowd of 30,022 is the lowest non-pandemic era attendance in Busch Stadium III history.
Baker gets another chance in majors
The Cardinals recalled first baseman/designated hitter Luken Baker prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Brewers. Baker, 27, made his major league debut last season (June 4, 2023).
He was the International League MVP as well as an International League Post-season All-Star as well as a Baseball America Minor League All-Star. In 2023, Baker batted .334 with a .439 on-base percentage and a .720 slugging percentage in 84 games with Triple-A Memphis.
Last season in 23 games with the Cardinals in the majors, Baker slashed .209/.313/.314 with two home runs. Baker has admitted that he fell victim to trying to do too much at times during his first experience in the majors.
“I think it just helps me be more convicted in what I’m doing,†Baker said of his initial experience in the majors last season. “Knowing that I need to just come be myself and nothing more.â€
This season for Triple-A Memphis, Baker batted .231 with a .345 on-base percentage and a .535 slugging percentage with 32 home runs and 79 RBIs. His 32 home runs were the most of any Triple-A hitter and the second-most of any player in the minors.
As far as his ability to contribute in the majors, Baker answered definitively and confidently.
“Absolutely,†Baker said. “If I didn’t believe it, I don’t know what I’d be doing here. I definitely believe it. That’s the goal, to come in here, get good pitches to hit and drive them.â€
A duel of deadline acquisitions
The pitching matchup for the series opener feature Cardinals trade deadline addition Erick Fedde, who came to the club by way of the Chicago White Sox, against the Brewers’ Montas, acquired from their NL Central rival Cincinnati Reds.
Fedde made his fourth start with the Cardinals on Tuesday night. He’d gone 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA with 12 strikeouts and four walks in 16 innings.
The Brewers acquired the right-hander Montas in exchange for right-hander Jakob Junis, outfielder Joey Wiemer and cash on July 30.
In three previous starts with Milwaukee since the trade, Montas had gone 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA, 18 strikeouts and seven walks in 14 innings. The Brewers won all three of those games.
For the season, Montas had gone 5-8 with a 4.86 ERA with 96 strikeouts and 48 walks in 107â…“ innings in 22 starts entering the night.
Montas made his fourth career start against the Cardinals on Tuesday night. He’d gone 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts and eight walks in his previous matchups with the Cardinals.
Tuesday night, Fedde allowed two runs on six hits and four walks in 5â…” innings. He struck out two batters.
Montas (6-8) tossed seven scoreless innings and held the Cardinals to just one hit and one walk.
Fedde frets free passes
The Brewers turned a pair of one-out walks by Fedde into a run and a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Willy Adames drew the first of two walks when he took a 3-2 pitch low and out of the strike zone to earn the walk. Tyler Black followed with a walk that put two men on with one out.
With two outs and the runners breaking on the pitch, Sal Frelick lined a single up the middle that scored Adames and left runners on the corners after Black went from first to third.
Fedde got Joey Ortiz to pop up in foul territory to end the inning.
Brewers add on against Fedde
In the fifth inning, Frelick lined a one-out triple into the right field corner for the first extra-base hit of the game for either team.
With the Cardinals infield playing in, Brewers No. 9 hitter Joey Ortiz swatted an RBI single through the infield into right field and gave the Brewers a 2-0 advantage.
Ortiz got thrown out in a stolen base attempt later in the inning. He was the second runner thrown out attempting to steal in the game by catcher Willson Contreras.
Contreras became the first catcher to throw out two runners in a game since Andrew Knizner did so against the White Sox on Aug. 16, 2020.
Fedde turned the game over to the bullpen with two outs and two runners on base in the sixth inning. Right-hander Shawn Armstrong, another deadline acquisition for the Cardinals, came on to face Rhys Hoskins with runners on first and second.
Hoskins’ hot shot up the middle appeared ticketed for center field and destined to drive in the runners from second base with the Brewers’ third run of the night. However, rookie shortstop Masyn Winn’s diving stop and throw to first ended the inning and kept the Brewers from tacking on an additional run.
The Brewers scored one run against the Cardinals reliever John King in the eighth inning.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol speaks with the media on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, after a game vs. the Brewers at Busch Stadium. (Video by Etha…
Fans react after Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) strikes out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a game against the Brewers on Tuesday Aug. 20, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar dives to catch a fly ball hit by Brewers infielder Joey Ortiz in the seventh inning Tuesday Aug. 20, 2024, at Busch Stadium.