Owen Miller’s two-run single lifts Brewers over Cardinals 2-0
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Owen Miller broke a scoreless tie with a two-run single and Colin Rea tossed five shutout innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
Milwaukee has won four in a row and swept a three-game series in St. Louis for the first time since Sept. 24-26, 2018.
Sonny Gray stuck out 12 batters over 6 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, who have lost four in a row.
Rea gave up five hits over five-plus innings and left after walking Paul Goldschmidt to begin the sixth.
Miller, who was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, hit a two-run single in the seventh after Blake Perkins and Brice Turang singled with one out.
Gray, who signed as a free agent on Nov. 27, allowed five hits and gave up his first two runs of the season. Gray (2-1) struck out 20 batters before giving up his first walk of the season to Joey Ortiz in the fifth.
Reliver Bryan Hudson, who grew up in the St. Louis suburb of Alton, Illinois, retired all seven batters he faced following Rea. Hudson struck out four and picked up his first career win.
Closer Joel Payamps picked up his third save in five opportunities.
St. Louis catcher Willson Contreras extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games with a first-inning single. It is the longest current run in the major and is second this season behind Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta, who had a 17-game streak snapped Saturday.
The Brewers improved to a major-league best 9-2 in day games this season. They are 10-2 on the road.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Andre Pallante was sent to Triple-A Memphis where he will move into the starting rotation. Pallante fashioned an 0-1 record with a 6.30 ERA in nine relief appearances with the Cardinals.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Joe Ross (1-1, 4.91 ERA) faces Pittsburgh RHP Jared Jones (1-2, 3.13) in the first of a four-game series on Monday in Pittsburgh. Ross will be making his fourth start of the season. The Brewers are 1-2 in his previous starts.
Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (1-0, 2.18) takes on Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaat (1-1, 5.32) in the opener of a three-game set in St. Louis on Monday. Lynn has posted quality starts in nine of 12 career starts against the Diamondbacks.
