Field Level Media
Apr 10, 2021
Avisail Garcia homered and drove in five runs as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers posted a 9-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.
Keston Hiura added a three-run homer for the Brewers, who dropped a 3-1 decision on Thursday in the opener of the series.
Milwaukee erupted for 13 hits and a season-high run total after averaging 2.3 runs in its previous six games.
Adrian Houser (1-1) allowed one unearned run on six hits over five-plus innings. Three relievers helped Milwaukee snap St. Louis' four-game winning streak.
Garcia blasted the 99th homer of his career in the fifth, a two-run shot off Carlos Martinez (0-2) that put Milwaukee ahead 3-0.
St. Louis answered in the sixth after Justin Williams' grounder got past Hiura at first, allowing two runs to score on the error.
Martinez gave up three runs on eight hits over five innings to extend his winless streak as a starter to seven games.
Milwaukee broke the game open in the seventh inning on Garcia's two-run double off Tyler Webb, who faced two more batters before Andrew Miller entered and allowed Hiura's two-out, three-run homer.
The Brewers extended their lead to 9-2 in the eighth inning after Garcia recorded his fifth RBI on a bases-loaded walk.
Austin Dean crushed a three-run homer off Josh Lindblom in the eighth inning to pull St. Louis within striking distance.
Yadier Molina had three hits for the Cardinals, who grounded into two double plays.
Houser's outing marked another strong performance by Milwaukee starting pitchers, who have tossed at least five innings and not allowed an earned run in four straight games.
Milwaukee took an early lead in the first when Christian Yelich had a one-out single, stole second and scored on Travis Shaw's single.
The Cardinals threatened in the fifth when Nolan Arenado walked to load the bases with two outs before Houser promptly struck out Paul DeJong on three pitches. DeJong struck out three times and is hitless in his last 21 at-bats.
Arenado has hit safely in each of his first eight games with his new team, going 11-for-33 to open the season.
--Field Level Media