Brewers top Cards to snap skid
MILWAUKEE -- Kirk Nieuwenhuis had two hits, including his 13th home run of the season, and Matt Garza struck out eight batters as the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a six-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park.
Looking for his first victory since Aug. 11, Garza (5-6) bounced back from a back-luck outing his last time out with his longest start of the season and held the Cardinals to use three hits with a pair of walks over seven innings of work.
Following a one-out home run by Yadier Molina in the fourth, Garza retired his next 13 batters in order and 14 of his last 15 before Greg Garcia singled and pinch-hitter Stephen Piscotty walked to open the eighth.
Carlos Torres loaded the bases before getting out of the jam and Tyler Thornburg worked a perfect ninth inning for his sixth save of the season.
Rookie right-hander Luke Weaver (1-2) struck out 10 for St. Louis. He scattered four hits and a pair of walks over six innings of work in his fourth career start.
Garza drew a walk and moved to third on Jonathan Villar's double to bring up Nieuwenhuis, who slammed a 1-0 offering from Weaver into right center and gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead.
St. Louis got a run back in the fourth on Molina's fifth homer of the season.
The Brewers had lost four in a row and seven of their last eight to the Cardinals and avoided being swept by St. Louis for the second time this season.
Garza drew a walk and moved to third on Jonathan Villar's double to bring up Nieuwenhuis, who slammed a 1-0 offering from Weaver into right center and gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead.
St. Louis got a run back in the fourth on Molina's fifth homer of the season.
NOTES: Milwaukee traded minor league OF Eric Young, Jr. to the Yankees on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations. Signed as a minor league free agent in January, Young batted .263 in 116 games this season for Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Milwaukee had lost a season-high six consecutive games before Wednesday. ... A victory Wednesday would give the Cardinals their first road sweep at Milwaukee since Sept. 15-17 of last season. ... Brewers manager Craig Counsell said OF Domino Santana was healthy despite being held out of the starting lineup for a third consecutive game. Santana has missed 73 games due to a shoulder injury this season and has started just five since coming off the disabled list Aug. 19. ... At 40-24 entering play Wednesday, St. Louis has the best road record in all of baseball this season. ... The Cardinals and Brewers will meet once more this season in a four-game set Sept. 8-11 in St. Louis.