ST. LOUIS (AP) — When Barry Bonds gives hitting advice, Dexter Fowler listens.
Fowler had his first four-hit game in six years, hit his first home run this season and drove in four runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Milwaukee Brewers 13-5 on Monday night.
Fowler recounted a Monday text from Bonds, the career home run leader.
“He’s like, ‘Keep swinging it. Now over .300,’” Fowler explained. “I said: ‘I got you, I got you.’”
Fowler’s big night hiked his average to .313.
“I’ve been feeling good,” Fowler said. “I’ve been putting good swings, good at-bats. It’s kind of contagious. The boys have been taking good at- bats, and it’s awesome to see.”
Paul Goldschmidt hit his ninth home run and had three hits and three RBIs for the Cardinals. St. Louis outhit Milwaukee 18-5, setting a season high for runs and hits in winning its third straight.
“I have some good games against these guys this season and, hopefully, will continue to do that,” Goldschmidt said. “But they’re really good. They’ve had some games where they’ve punched me out three times or had some 0-fers too.”
Fowler had the fifth four-hit game of his career, his first since June 9, 2013, against San Diego.
“I’m just going out there trying to take good AB’s and let the game come to me,” Fowler said.
Ryan Braun, Hernán Pérez, Yasmani Grandal and Travis Shaw homered for Milwaukee, which has lost five of six.
“Balls are really flying,” Flaherty said. “Guys are going to hit home runs, and you’re going to give up home runs. Mistakes are going to be made.”
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell thought Flaherty was throwing well.
“We ended up scoring four runs in six innings so I think we did a decent job against him,” Counsell said. “Not a lot of hits, but he made some mistakes and we hit some long balls.”
Adrian Houser (0-1) lost in his season debut and first big league start. He gave up five runs and nine hits in four-plus innings.
Kolten Wong hit an RBI single in the second, and Fowler made it 3-0 in the third with his first home run since July 24, a two-run drive.
Braun’s solo homer and Perez’s two-run home run tied the score in the fifth, but Goldschmidt put the Cardinals ahead to stay with a two-run homer in the bottom half that chased Houser.
“Very disappointing on my part,” Houser said. “The guys battled back and they tied it up for us, and I didn’t come out and do my job and execute some pitches there.”
Grandal homered in the sixth, but St. Louis blew open the game with a seven-run seventh off Jacob Barnes and Aaron Wilkerson that included a two-run, pinch-hit single by rookie Lane Thomas.
LONG BALL
Milwaukee has 47 home runs this season while St. Louis has 35. The Brewers have hit 21 and the Cardinals 17 in their eight games against each other.
ROSTER MOVES
Brewers: LHP Donnie Hart was optioned Triple-A San Antonio, Hauser and RHP Jake Petricka were recalled from San Antonio. … RHP Junior Guerra was placed on the bereavement list. He went home to Venezuela to be with his ill father and the Brewers expect he will rejoin the team for a weekend series at the New York Mets.
Cardinals: INF/OF Drew Robinson was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha was placed on 10-day IL with patellar tendinitis in his left knee.
UP NEXT
RHP Zach Davies (2-0) enters his start for Milwaukee on Tuesday with a 2-2 record against the Cardinals, including 0-2 with a 9.28 ERA in two starts last season. RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon will start in place of Wacha after going 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Memphis. He had one appearance in 2018 against Milwaukee, pitching one of scoreless relief.
Photo credit – Jeff Roberson / Associated Press / St. Louis, MO
