MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brandon Woodruff struck out 10 over six scoreless innings and Devin Williams delivered four big outs late to boost the Milwaukee Brewers’ playoff hopes with a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.
The victory, Milwaukee’s first since last Saturday at Cincinnati, combined with the Phillies’ loss to the Cubs in Chicago moved the Brewers within a game of Philadelphia for the third and final NL wild-card spot with seven to play.
Woodruff (13-4) was only at 98 pitches when Matt Bush took over to start the seventh. The move backfired immediately when Andrew Knizner led off the inning with his second homer in as many days to make it a 2-1 game.
After Ben DeLuzio followed with a double, Bush walked Brendan Donovan before getting his first out of the inning when Dylan Carlson grounded out to first.
Milwaukee then turned to Williams, who intentionally walked pinch-hitter Lars Nootbaar to load the bases and got out of the jam when Juan Yepez grounded into a double play.
Williams came up big again in the eighth, stranding runners at the corners with back-to-back strikeouts of Knizner and DeLuzio.
Cardinals starter Jose Quintana (6-7) struck out seven in five innings. He allowed only one run on an RBI single to Hunter Renfroe in the third.
Milwaukee added an insurance run in the fifth on Keston Hiura’s RBI double off Steven Matz and broke the game open with a three-run eighth, capped by Victor Caratini's two-run, ground-rule double.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Jordan Hicks (arm fatigue and neck spasms) has been making good progress with his throwing program and will throw off a mound Friday then again on Sunday. If all goes well, he could get activated in time for St. Louis’ season-ending series at Pittsburgh and be available for the start of the playoffs.
Brewers: RHP Adrian Houser was placed on the 15-day injured list and miss the rest of the regular season because of a grade 2 strain of his right groin. RHP Justin Topa was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to replace Houser on Milwaukee’s active roster.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Off Thursday before beginning a series against the Pirates on Friday.
Brewers: Milwaukee opens a four-game series against the Marlins with LHP Eric Lauer (10-7, 3.96 ERA) going up against Miami lefty Braxton Garrett (3-6, 3.52 ERA).
