The Cardinals and Brewers met on this windy thursday night at the Sportsplex and once again battled till the end. After getting out of trouble in the first inning, Cardinals starter DelValle easily got through the 2nd. Brewers starter Jason Krottner also got through the first 2 innings easily facing the minimum 6 batters. Matt Beelen then got the Brewers going with a solo home run in the 3rd inning. The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the inning getting a 2 RBI single from Dave Burke with the bases loaded, and then on the same play the Cardinals benefitted from a Brewer error to score all 3 runners. Krottner was able to finally get out of the inning only down 3-1.
The Brewers came right back in the 4th after Frank Macera, and Mike Gingerich singled, Keith Blouin bunted for a single to load the bases. Hank Beelen scored one of the runs with a sac fly to right field, and the Mike Gazo scored the remaining 2 runners by hitting a 3-run homer to left giving the Brewers a 5-3 lead and signalling the end of DelValle's night. Hoddinnott came in and got out of the inning despite giving up 2 hits.
The Cardinals cut into the lead in the 4th, getting an RBI single from Jose Hernandez, but Hank Beelen threw out a runner at home on the same play to keep the score at 5-4. After the Brewers went out easily in the 5th, Jon Paul cut into the lead against new Brewers pitcher Gingerich, in the bottom of the inning by smashing a drive off the light pole in right center field for a home run. Tied at 5, the Brewers got a run across in the 6th off of new Cards pitcher Dave Burke when Jon Zywicki hit an RBI sac fly to score Hank Beelen.
In the bottom of the inning, Gazo came in to pitch after Dave Barnes led off with a single. After getting 2 strike outs and giving up a single to Jose Hernandez, he got a ground ball, but the Brewers dropped the fielder's choice, and then couldn't tag out Hernandez in a run down to let the Cards tie the game, even though Hernandez almost ran into left field...but I'm not bitter.
In the 7th, each team got a runner to 2nd, but both times the runner got stranded and the game ended in a tie.
Player of the Game : Matt Beelen...batting : 3/4, home run, 1 RBI, stolen
base.
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