Field Level Media
Sep 14, 2019
Jordan Lyles continued his pitching revival for the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-2 victory over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.
Lyles is 6-1 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts for the Brewers since arriving from Pittsburgh in a trade just days before the deadline. He was 5-7 with a 5.36 ERA in 17 starts for the Pirates this season.
The third-place Brewers (79-69) won for the eighth time in nine games and moved within four games of the National League Central-leading Cardinals (83-65).
Milwaukee remained one game back of the second-place Chicago Cubs for the NL's second wild-card slot. The Cubs (80-68) clobbered the Pirates 14-1 Saturday afternoon.
Lyles (11-8) held the Cardinals to two runs (one earned) and six hits in six innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Josh Hader, the fourth Brewers reliever, closed out the ninth inning to earn his 32nd save.
Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty (10-8) took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in six innings. He allowed multiple runs for just the second time in his last nine starts, despite striking out 10.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the second inning. After Tommy Edman hit a solo home run, Harrison Bader hit a single, advanced on Flaherty's sacrifice bunt, stole third base and scored on catcher Yasmani Grandal's throwing error on the steal.
Mike Moustakas tied the game with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. That snapped Flaherty's streak of 21 scoreless innings.
The Brewers took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning when Eric Thames grounded into a run-scoring fielder's choice. Grandal's two-run homer in the eighth inning made it 5-2.
On the Brewers injury front, second baseman Keston Hiura returned to active duty as a pinch hitter Saturday. He missed two weeks with a hamstring strain.
Pitcher Brandon Woodruff (oblique strain) threw a bullpen session Saturday and catcher Manny Pina (concussion) also stepped up his physical activity. Woodruff could return next week.
For the Cardinals, catcher Matt Wieters (calf strain) is also progressing toward a near-term return.
--Field Level Media