Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 5, Brewers 1

By Rob Rains

Michael McGreevy gave himself and the Cardinals a present for his 26^th birthday – a victory.

McGreevy pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his 18 starts this season to help the Cardinals snap a seven-game losing streak against the Brewers on Wednesday night at Busch Stadium.

It also snapped a streak of nine starts without a win for McGreevy, dating back to May 8.

McGreevy got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and allowed only one more hit, an infield single, before leaving the game after giving up two hits in the seventh. One of those inherited runners later came in to score.

The win extended another streak for the Cardinals – a starting pitcher getting a win on his birthday. The Cardinals have now won the game the last 13 times a pitcher started a game on his birthday. The most recent to do it was Kwang-Hyun Kim in 2021.

The last time a Cardinal starter lost a game on his birthday was in 2006 in a game started by Jeff Weaver. Since 1994, the Cardinals are now 17-1 in games on the starting pitcher’s birthday.

Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:

At the plate: The Cardinals staked McGreevy to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on doubles from Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson. It was Walker’s 70^th RBI of the season … Jose Fermin made it a 3-0 game with a home run in the fourth and Burleson capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth. It was his 15^th homer of the year but his first at Busch since June 5. The three RBIs increased his season total to 66.

On the mound: McGreevy allowed five hits, walked one and struck out six. He left the game with runners on first and third after he had retired 15 batters in a row before those hits … Luis Gastelum, making his major-league debut, allowed a sacrifice fly that drove in the Brewers only run. A double put runners on second and third before Gastelum got out of the inning … Riley O’Brien worked the ninth in a non-save situation, his first appearance since July 4.

Key stat: With his double and home run, Burleson matched the number of hits he had against the Brewers in eight previous games this season, covering 29 at-bats. Both of those hits were singles, and he had only one RBI while striking out 10 times.

Worth noting: Gastelum, 24, was promoted from Memphis, where he had not allowed a run in his last 18 appearances. To open a roster spot, Jared Shuster was designated for assignment for the third time this season … Winn moved into the leadoff spot as JJ Wetherholt got the day off after playing both games of the doubleheader on Tuesday.

Up next: Andre Pallante will get the start on Thursday night in the final game of the five-game series.

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