MILWAUKEE 鈥 When the Cardinals readied to make the move Wednesday the Brewers were not convinced they would, the one that replaced one of the better hitters and best fielders from the lineup in extra innings, the move that tilted the game back in the Cardinals鈥 favor, Luken Baker made sure he was standing nearby manager Oliver Marmol.
He didn鈥檛 want the manager to have to shout to tell him he鈥檚 up.
鈥淚t would be a bad look if I was on the other end of the dugout,鈥 the young slugger said. 鈥淵ou want to be right there.鈥
Pressed into extra innings for a second consecutive night against at American Family Field, the Cardinals edged the Brewers, 3-2, in the 10th inning of a chess master matchup to win another taut game and claim another series. For a club that has made a season out of games decided by three or fewer runs, no score appears too close for comfort, even for a newcomer like Baker. Tagging in for Brendan Donovan, Baker delivered a pinch-hit, two-out RBI single for the difference on the scoreboard and the punctuation on an assertive road trip.
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The Cardinals have won six of their past eight games and gone 4-0-1 in their past five series, all of them against playoff contenders. They went 4-2 on a six-game swing against the pinstripes in Bronx to the hops-handlers of Wisconsin.
After an off day Thursday, the Cardinals (71-69) have 22 games remaining on their schedule and they鈥檙e paddling against the tide to reach the postseason.
How the Cardinals got in position to win Wednesday against the first-place Brewers began with Sonny Gray鈥檚 superb seven innings and included two bases-loaded walks. It ended with Ryan Fernandez, filling in for closer Ryan Helsley, striking out three batters in a scoreless 10th inning. Between those two bookends were compelling gambits of strategy where the Brewers initiated a matchup and the Cardinals countered. The Brewers chanced the Cardinals would not a make move.
The Cardinals made that move.
鈥淭hat was a fun game,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淭here were a lot of moving parts to that one. I鈥檝e enjoyed playing this group across the way. They鈥檝e had a good season. They鈥檝e done a lot of things well and it鈥檚 a well-put-together group. We鈥檝e matched up against them well. I鈥檝e enjoyed the matchup.鈥
Two matchups in particular.
The two Milwaukee invited and the two Marmol sprang.
The two that decided the game.
The two in detail:
Andrew Kittredge vs. Garrett Mitchell
When the Brewers tied the game with a solo homer on JoJo Romero鈥檚 first pitch of relief 鈥 the first pitch of the game for the Cardinals not thrown by Gray 鈥 right-hander Andrew Kittredge was already warm in the bullpen, and he already had a crisp feel for his slider.
The home run assured that in the eighth inning the Brewers would have a choice to pinch-hit for left-handed batter Jake Bauers and bend the inning their way with a right-handed hitter against the lefty Romero. With a runner and potential go-ahead run at third base, Brewers manager Pat Murphy picked All-Star William Contreras, Willson鈥檚 younger brother, to take that at-bat.
Kittredge was waiting as the answer.
鈥淏ring Contreras off the bench and that鈥檚 a tough at-bat,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been good all year, played well against us.鈥
It was the matchup either side welcomed, and Kittredge won with a strikeout, but it was not the matchup that was most compelling. What came next was where the inning pivoted. Rather than have Kittredge face the right-handed hitter Willy Adames and his 100 RBIs, the Cardinals opted to intentionally walk the Brewers鈥 shortstop.
"We don't let Adames beat us," Marmol said.
They willingly put an insurance run on base but also guaranteed with the three-batter minimum that Kittredge would face 鈥 a left-handed batter. Garrett Mitchell already had a triple down the first-base line and a run scored. This season, he鈥檚 rarely faced lefties, and it鈥檚 no wonder 鈥 his slugging percentage against lefties is .292. It鈥檚 .456 against right-handed pitchers.
Pitching coach Dusty Blake and catcher Ivan Herrera converged on the mound to discuss the approach with Mitchell. Baker suggested they avoid the sinker.
鈥淎 sinker down and away kind of gives them that chance to just flip something to the left,鈥 Kittredge said. 鈥淭hey can stay on it a little bit longer.鈥
The slider would be key.
Put one in the dirt and the Brewers lead.
Kittredge knew from his warmups that wasn鈥檛 going to happen.
鈥淚 am 95% of the time sure it鈥檚 going to be there or that I鈥檓 going to trust it,鈥 Kittredge said of his breaking pitch. 鈥淚 trust that pitch so much because it鈥檚 a pitch that I rely on so much. I just had a lot of conviction behind it today.鈥
Mitchell saw four pitches.
Three of them were sliders.
He swung and missed on all three to strike out and end the inning.
鈥淟ook at the matchup with Kitt and Mitchell,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淛ust more swing and miss.鈥
Luken Baker vs. Hoby Milner
When Baker did not appear as a pinch-hitter in the ninth because his handedness wouldn鈥檛 have changed much against one of the finest relievers in all the land, Hazelwood West grad Devin Williams, that saved him for either of the Brewers鈥 remaining lefties in the 10th.
If that is, Marmol wanted to rewrite his defense.
Milwaukee seemed to bet he would not.
The inning began with Masyn Winn at second base as extra innings鈥 spontaneously generated runner, and Brewers right-hander Joel Payamps had at least the first three batters. He retired the first two before opting to intentionally walk Nolan Arenado. The move was savvy because it avoided Arenado with a runner in scoring position and satisfied Payamps鈥 three-batter minimum without having to actually throw a pitch to the third hitter.
To face left-handed batter Donovan, Murphy called on lefty Hoby Milner, who had not pitched in the majors for more than a month. It was a favorable matchup for Milner, but not a guarantee 鈥 only that the Brewers appeared certain Marmol would not lift Donovan. To do so would be to take his bat from the game, his glove from the game, and likely force Arenado, who was at DH for a break, into the field. Milwaukee read it wrong. Marmol wanted that matchup.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e hoping to get into the top of the 10th inning and, for me, he takes a tough at-bat,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淪o, we saved Baker for that Donovan at-bat. You have moves that you can make that put them in a better spot to have success. When you look at Baker being able to take that at-bat it鈥檚 a good spot to have success.鈥
It鈥檚 a move that makes sense but in the end it鈥檚 only as good as its result.
Baker, who had an OPS greater than 1.000 vs. lefties at Triple-A, fell behind on a changeup on the outside edge of the strike. Milner would go back to that same area (low and away) two more times with the changeup trying to get that same call. Baker didn鈥檛 bite on one of them and checked his swing on the other 鈥 though some teammates winced as if expecting the strike call. Ahead in the count 2-1, Baker got another changeup from Milner and skipped it up the middle for the RBI.
The decisive run gave Baker RBIs in six consecutive appearances. Only Albert Pujols and Baker have done that in their first 50 big-league games for the Cardinals.
鈥淎s far as RBIs go, that鈥檚 my job,鈥 Baker said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the ultimate goal. If my job is to go in with runners in scoring position or, if they鈥檙e not, if my goal is to go up there and hit a solo homer, the job is to score more than the other team. The more I can drive in runs the better.鈥
With the lead, 3-2, Marmol completed the lineup shuffle necessitated by removing Donovan and inserting Baker. Arenado moved from DH to third base. Jose Fermin moved over to second base 鈥 and that maintained a strong infield defense. Fernandez went into the fifth spot in the order, where if the game pressed on either Jordan Walker or Matt Carpenter could hit and assure cleanup hitter Arenado would not be skipped over again and again by the Brewers.
Though, Fernandez made all of that academic.
The defense was never tested. Fernandez struck out the side.
A pinch-hitter was never needed. Fernandez ended the game.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e bought in. They鈥檙e committed,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to take our best shot. We鈥檝e got to stay present. Look up after the game is over and you鈥檝e got a W.鈥
Despite the smallest market in Major League Baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers have become a marvel of what it means to be a modern contender.