Brewers' comeback falls short in loss to Cardinals
MILWAUKEE -- The praises were flowing for Yadier Molina.
Molina hit two solo home runs, Kolten Wong added a two-run double, Luke Weaver pitched into the seventh inning and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.
"He is our captain, he is our leader, he is the St. Louis Cardinals," Wong said of Molina. "We are going to hop on his back whenever he is going. He is our man. When he goes, we go."
Molina homered in the fourth and then crushed the first pitch from Brent Suter (2-2) leading off the sixth over the wall in left for his 12th of the season and fourth career multi-homer game.
"Definitely a lot left in the tank from what I saw tonight," Suter said of the 35-year-old Molina.
Molina doubled in the second and advanced Jedd Gyorko to third. He scored on Luke Voit's ground out with the bases loaded and tied the game.
"He was the story of the game tonight," Suter said. "That guy's on his way to the Hall of Fame."
Molina finished with 10 total bases for the first time in his career.
"If you're going to give them up, you might as well give them up to one of the best in the game," Suter said.
Weaver (1-1) made one mistake in the first and Eric Thames hit it for his 25th home run of the season. Weaver regrouped and held the Brewers scoreless until Hernan Perez's one-out RBI single in the seventh.
Weaver allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked two over 6 1/3 innings in his first road start of the season and second for Adam Wainwright (mid-back tightness). He took a 4-0 loss to Arizona in his first start on July 27 after being recalled for the second time this season.
Jeremy Jeffress, who made his first appearance since being reacquired Monday in a trade with the Texas Rangers, took over for Suter with runners at first and second and one out in the sixth. One out later, Wong drove in the final two runs of the inning.
Suter struck out seven, walked one and allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
"He was good, just Yadier Molina got him," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Suter who came in 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his five previous starts.
Jesus Aguilar hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer off John Brebbia in the eighth. Trevor Rosenthal got the last four outs for his seventh save.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: 1B Matt Carpenter was scratched from the lineup with right hip discomfort. . . . RHP Adam Wainwright (mid-back tightness) threw a bullpen session Wednesday. "Everything went just as he had hoped," manager Mike Matheny said of Wainwright's effort.
Brewers: C Stephen Vogt (left knee sprain) and RHP Chase Anderson (strained left oblique) have made enough progress that the club targets their return during the West Coast road trip, starting Aug. 18 in Colorado.
BREWERS ROSTER MOVE
LHP Wei-Chung Wang was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs after the game. The move was anticipated with Matt Garza coming off the disabled list to start Thursday against the Cardinals.
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UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (8-4, 3.71 ERA) brings a 4-0 career mark (4.81 ERA) in nine games (eight starts) against the Brewers in his 20th start of the season. He's been one of the best in the NL over the span of his last six outings. He is 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA.
Brewers: RHP Matt Garza (4-5, 3.83 ERA) comes off the disabled list (right lower leg strain) to make his 16th start of the season and second against the Cardinals. He is 6-5 with a 4.18 ERA in 15 career starts against St. Louis, including a 7-6 win on June 14 at Busch Stadium.
