Frankie Montas blanked the St. Louis Cardinals on one hit in seven innings Tuesday as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers won 3-2 to extend their winning streak to six games.
Montas (6-8) struck out three batters and walked one as the Brewers improved to 7-1 against the Cardinals this season.
Brewers closer Devin Williams escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to earn his fifth save, while William Contreras went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Sal Frelick drove in one run and scored another.
Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who lost for the seventh time in eight games to fall 12 games behind the National League Central-leading Brewers.
St. Louis starting pitcher Erick Fedde (8-7) allowed two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out two.
The Brewers took a 1-0 second-inning lead when Fedde lost control. With one out, Willy Adames and Tyler Black drew walks to set up Frelick’s two-out RBI single.
Montas retired the first 10 batters he faced. Alec Burleson finally broke through with a single in the fourth inning, but Montas quickly dispatched the next two hitters.
Milwaukee increased its lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning. Frelick hit a one-out triple and scored on Joey Ortiz’s single through the pulled-in infield.
The Brewers threatened again in the sixth inning. Contreras hit a one-out single and Black drew a two-out walk. Shawn Armstrong relieved Fedde and retired Rhys Hoskins on a groundout.
Milwaukee made it 3-0 in the eighth inning when Garrett Mitchell reached on an infield single and scored on Contreras’ double.
The Cardinals cut their deficit to 3-2 in the eighth inning off reliever Nick Mears. Lars Nootbaar led off with a single and Carpenter hit a pinch-hit homer with two outs.
St. Louis threatened again in the ninth inning. Brendan Donovan hit a one-out single and went to third on Nolan Arenado’s double.
After Williams walked Nootbaar intentionally, he struck out Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman to close out the game.
–Field Level Media