ST. LOUIS (AP) Travis Shaw sat out Milwaukee’s previous game with a sore hand. He’s feeling much better now.
Shaw and Jonathan Villar each hit a tape-measure home run, and the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 in 10 innings Monday night.
Shaw’s three-run shot off Seung Hwan Oh (0-2) traveled an estimated 451 feet and broke a 4-all tie with two outs in the top of the 10th. Villar’s two-run drive in the third soared 450 feet to right-center and gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead.
“That was pure reaction right there, too,” Shaw said. “Down and in, slider, for me it was just trying to put the ball in play. I reacted and I backspun it.”
Shaw was hit in the hand by a pitch Saturday against Atlanta. At first, the pain made it difficult to grip a bat.
“It’s still a little sore,” Shaw said. “It was probably something I could have played through on Sunday given a different circumstance, but it was still April. It’s still a little bit sore, but not enough to keep me out of there.”
Jedd Gyorko hit two late homers for the Cardinals and finished with four hits. Aledmys Diaz and Matt Carpenter connected back-to-back in the fifth.
Oliver Drake (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and Neftali Feliz earned his seventh save.
Milwaukee starter Zach Davies allowed at least one runner in every inning. He gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings, stranding six. The Brewers turned two of their four double plays behind him, and center fielder Keon Broxton made a diving catch in the third.
“It’s nice when you turn your back and you see a diving stop,” Davies said. “It gives you more confidence.”
Domingo Santana led off the fourth with a double and scored his fifth run in two games on Manny Pina‘s single to make it 3-0.
Eric Thames doubled home Villar in the fifth to make it 4-0. Thames has reached safely in 23 of 24 games this season.
Diaz and Carpenter homered in the fifth to cut the Brewers’ lead to 4-2. It was the first set of back-to-back home runs for the Cardinals this season.
Gyorko led off the eighth and 10th with home runs to give him six this season – all solo shots.
Cardinals starter Michael Wacha gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings.
“Young team, winning games like this is huge for the confidence level for everybody,” Shaw said. “That would have been a tough one to lose after being up 4-0.”
WONG’S WOES
Kolten Wong ran into a rally-killing out to end the sixth. Cardinals pinch-hitter Matt Adams singled and Wong went from first to third, but fell down after rounding third. He was retired in a long rundown that was scored 8-6-2-5-6.
Wong’s error in the 10th led to Shaw’s home run. Hernan Perez opened the inning with a liner off Wong’s glove and the second baseman threw wildly to first, allowing Perez to reach safely. The extra out allowed Shaw to bat with two outs. All the runs Oh gave up were unearned.
“I have to catch it somehow,” Wong said. “The ball got in my glove and I think panic took over, which I kind of pride myself on this year – not to panic. And it’s one of those where I’ve got to settle down and understand I’ve still got time to make a play and I didn’t.”
NEW LOCKS, NEW LUCK?
Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez has more of a traditional hair style. Martinez, the team’s opening day starter, hopes the new look changes his fortunes. He has sported gold and silver long hair, but is winless through his first five starts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: OF Ryan Braun (right trapezius soreness) remains day to day. … LHP Tommy Milone was designated for assignment, and Milwaukee selected the contract of RHP Rob Scahill from Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Cardinals: INF Jhonny Peralta (upper respiratory illness) has worked in the batting cage, but still hasn’t taken live fielding.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Wily Peralta (4-1, 5.19 ERA) looks for his third quality start Tuesday night. He is 4-11 with a 5.10 ERA in his career against St. Louis, including 0-8 with a 5.46 ERA over his last eight starts vs. the Cardinals.
Cardinals: Martinez (0-3, 4.71) is still seeking his first win since Sept. 30, 2016. He is 4-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 20 career appearances against Milwaukee.
Photo credit – Jeff Roberson / Associated Press / St. Louis, MO
