Brewers @ Cardinals 7.3 recap: Thank you Stephen Piscotty

Milwaukee Brewers @ St. Louis Cardinals

Chase Anderson vs. Michael Wacha

1:15 p.m. CT (scheduled) 
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, Missouri

Today's Lineups -

Some News -

• Mets vs. Cubs - MLB.com
• Washington vs. Cincinnati - MLB.com
• Pittsburgh vs. Oakland - MLB.com
• Take a look at some box scores today.  It was a good day for run-scoring for lots of teams.
• One of the big days for international signings happened yesterday.  The Cards were active - VEB | MLB.com

Things that happened -

Top halves -

Michael Wacha was able to work around two hard-hit singles from Scooter Gennett and Ryan Braun by striking out the side around them.

Aaron Hill got a lucky base hit just over the bag at first.  And then with two outs, Chase Anderson found a hole with a grounder into right.  Wacha left 'em stranded, though, after he worked a long AB with Jonathan Villar for a strikeout.

A 1-2-3 third inning for Wacha.

Aaron Hill singled into center, and then Kirk Nieuwenhuis crushed a ball to the corner in right, but Piscotty played it well enough that Hill wasn't able to score.  It didn't matter though, as Ramon Flores was able to sneak a grounder just over the first base bag, and it scored two.  Brewers up 2-1.

Back-to-back one out base hits and a throw hitting a runner put Braun and Jonathan Lucroy on second and third.  Wacha walked Chris Carter to load the bases.  Wacha was able to wiggle out- Hill grounded it hard to Diaz for a threat-ending double play.

The fifth inning was Wacha's last.  His final line: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 93 pitches thrown.

Tyler Lyons took over in the sixth.  Flores singled to center.  Then it poured.  Lyons finally got through the inning but it was a wet one.

Trevor Rosenthal came in to pitch the seventh.  It didn't go great.  Gennett, Braun, and Lucroy hit three straight singles, scoring one.  He then walked Carter to load up the bases.  That was enough for Matheny, and he went to get Bowman to get out of the jam.  He got a groundout from Hill.  Then, with a two-two count with one out and the bases loaded, another rain delay came into effect.

An hour later, a groundout scored one more and then Bowman got out of it.  Cards lead 8-4.

Jonathan Broxton pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.

Sam Tuivailala checked in in the ninth.  Ryan Braun singled, his fourth of the game.  Lucroy singled.  Carter got hit by the pitch.  New closer Seung Hwan Oh came in to bail him out.  He did, but not before walking in a run, allowing a double for two more (putting the tying run on second).  A stikeout of Flores and a groundout (scoring a run) of Perez gave them two outs with a runner at second.  Villar walked.  Martin Maldanado mercifully struck out to end the torture.  Cards win 9-8.

Bottom halves -

Matt Carpenter started things out by hitting a ball to deep left, but not quite deep enough.  A couple pitches later, Aledmys Diaz hit it plenty deep enough, into the stands to take the lead.  Matt Holliday drove the next pitch the opposite way to the right field wall for an out.  Piscotty followed up with a nice single to left.  Moss about tacked on a couple more, but hit it just outside the foul pole in right.  He ultimately struck out to end the inning.  A warmer day might have yielded back-to-back-to-back homers, but in the end, it was just Cards up 1-0.

Anderson had a much better second inning, allowing only a one-out walk to Yadier Molina.

In the third, Diaz walked.  Holliday hit yet another almost-homer, this time to left-center.  Piscotty singled, but a Brandon Moss pop-up left two on.

Jhonny Peralta drew a walk to lead off the fourth.  Tommy Pham drew another with one out.  Wacha bunted poorly, and Anderson got the lead runner.  Carpenter drove in one with a single to center.  Diaz hit another almost-homer, but it landed in Ryan Braun's glove to end the inning.  Game tied 2-2.

A one-out walk to Stephen Piscotty in the fifth was the final batter for Chase Anderson.  He left in favor of Jacob Barnes.  With a full count, Brandon Moss hit what probably should have been a double into the right field corner.  Piscotty scored, and a botched cut-off throw allowed Brandon to move all the way to third.  That worked out nicely- Peralta sac-flied him home to put the Cards up 4-2.

Anderson's final line: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 81 pitches thrown.

After a short rain delay, old friend Michael Blazek took over to throw the bottom of the sixth.  Tommy Pham induced some pre-mature fireworks, doubling off the top of the wall.  Carpenter walked, as well, and so did Holliday before Blazek got lifted in favor of another old friend in Blaine Boyer, whom I'll admit to not knowing still existed.  He battled with Stephen Piscotty.  They worked a full count, and then Mr. Piscotty induced some well-deserved fireworks, Grand Slamming his way to Big Mac Land, an absolute monster.  He's awesome.  Moss reached on an error, probably due to the wetness.  Peralta used Boyer's glove to his advantage to beat out an infield single, but they were stranded.  Cards up 8-2.

After the latest rain delay, Kolten Wong doubled to left, Carp hit another almost-homer to sac him to third, Diaz walked, and then Greg Garcia singled home Wong.  Cards up 9-4.

A Jedd Gyorko single was erased in by a Molina double play in the eighth.  Jeremy Jeffress pitching.

Final Notes -

• A whole bunch of almost-homers today.
• A whole bunch of rain today
• Fangraphs
• Game notes: Brewers | Cardinals

Looking ahead -

Tomorrow, the Cardinals celebrate America's independence by taking on the Pirates at home.  Jonathan Niese will be opposed by Carlos Martinez.  The game starts at 1:15 CT.