Brewers 11, Cardinals 2: A memorable debut for Robert Gasser and a blowout win for Milwaukee
Robert Gasser won't forget about this night for a long time.
Making his major-league debut, Gasser mowed down the St. Louis Cardinals over six shutout innings and earned the win in an 11-2 steamrolling by the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night at American Family Field.
The 24-year-old Gasser, one of the Brewers' top prospects, is the fifth player in franchise history to throw at least six shutout innings in his MLB debut.
BOX SCORE: Brewers 11, Cardinals 2
Milwaukee's offense provided Gasser with plenty of support in the middle innings, ultimately tagging Cardinals starter Lance Lynn for five runs in 4 ⅔ innings. Willy Adames hit three doubles and drove in a pair of runs while Rhys Hoskins, Sal Frelick and Jake Bauers each had multi-RBI games, as well.
The Brewers improved to 23-15, moving eight games ahead of the Cardinals and remaining a half-game above the Chicago Cubs for first place in the division.
What a debut for Robert Gasser
It was been a dazzling debut for Gasser.
The left-hander went six shutout innings with four strikeouts and no walks allowed. The only three Cardinals base runners of the game reached via either single or a hit by pitch, and one was immediately erased on a nifty double play turned by Brice Turang.
Gasser, a key part of the Josh Hader trade at the 2022 deadline, became just the second pitcher in Brewers history to go at least six innings and allow no more than three base runners, joining Steve Woodard on July 28, 1997.
Gasser was remarkably efficient and in control. He threw just 79 pitches and got nine whiffs and 19 called strikes, relying heavily on a sweeper that the Cardinals simply couldn't figure out.
Insurance runs aplenty in the seventh
Milwaukee just kept adding on.
Leading, 7-1, heading into the bottom of the seventh, Frelick hit a two-run single, breaking a RBI drought dating back to April 13.
Bauers later added a two-run triple to right-center as a line drive got past centerfielder Dylan Carlson to make it an 11-1 advantage. It was Bauers' first triple since 2019.
Masterclass in offense put Brewers up big
The Brewers were rolling in every facet to take a 7-0 lead through five on St. Louis.
A five-run rally with two outs that featured great hitting, base running and even some bunting blew the game wide open.
With Bauers on second base after stealing a bag with two outs, Brice Turang looped a RBI double to left. William Contreras walked next, marking the end Lynn's evening as lefty Matthew Liberatore was summoned to face Christian Yelich.
Yelich responded by immediately laying down a perfect bunt down the third-base line, the ball rolling until it hit the bag square. Willy Adames made it 6-0 with a two-run double to right and then took third base on the ill-advised throw home. That extra base proved important when Hoskins followed with an infield single to push Adames across for a 7-0 lead.
Rhys Hoskins opens the scoring in the fourth
Contreras doubled to left to lead off the bottom of the fourth against Lynn and Yelich followed with a rocket single to right. Yelich stole second with one out, putting men on second and third for Hoskins, who drew the count full and rifled a single to left.
Contreras jogged home while heads up base running from Yelich led to a second run. Third base coach Jason Lane put up a stop sign, but Yelich saw Lars Nootbaar bobble the ball ever so slightly in the outfield and jetted around third base, beating a rushed throw home.
Gasser goes 1-2-3 in first inning
It was quite the open to his big-league career for Robert Gasser. The Brewers lefty retired the Cardinals in order in the top of the first, including his first career strikeout on a sweeper to Nootbaar.
Brewers schedule
Brewers vs. Cardinals, Saturday 6:15 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Freddy Peralta (3-1, 3.49) vs. St. Louis TBA. TV – Fox (Channel 6). Radio – AM-620.
Brewers vs. Cardinals, Sunday 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Bryse Wilson vs. St. Louis TBA. TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Robert Gasser's MLB debut is memorable as the Brewers destroy Cardinals
