​ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alec Burleson and José Fermín provided the offense while Michael McGreevy delivered a solid start as the St. Louis Cardinals halted their seven-game skid against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-1 victory on Wednesday night. The win snapped the Brewers’ four-game winning streak and kept Milwaukee from extending its lead atop the NL Central.
McGreevy (4-7) worked 6 1/3 innings, striking out six and giving up five hits and one run on his 26th birthday. It was the 23-year-old right-hander’s third major league season and his 18th start of the year, a new career high. He gave the Cardinals a strong outing behind the offense.
St. Louis wasted no time jumping ahead. After Masyn Winn led off with a double in the first, Jordan Walker followed with an RBI double, and Burleson doubled home Walker for the inning’s third double. Walker, who earned his first career All-Star invitation on Saturday, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the win, contributing to the early momentum the Cardinals built.
Fermín added to the cushion with a 404-foot solo homer to left-center in the fourth, extending the lead to 3-0. Burleson then delivered a long homer of his own in the sixth, sending a Jared Koenig cutter about 443 feet to right field to push the advantage further.
The Brewers finally cracked through in the seventh when Cooper Pratt hit a sacrifice fly to score a run. The solo efforts and continued pitching depth kept Milwaukee from mounting a sustained comeback.
Kyle Harrison started for Milwaukee and took the loss, allowing four hits and three runs in four innings while striking out two. Garrett Mitchell provided Milwaukee’s brightest spot offensively, finishing with a single and a double to pace the visitors.
On the mound for Milwaukee, Logan Henderson came on in relief and is credited with the win being given the loss designation. The Brewers will look to rebound in the series finale as they send right-hander Logan Henderson (2-1, 2.74 ERA) to face Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante (10-5, 3.60) on Thursday.
With this result, the Cardinals snapped a long winless stretch against Milwaukee, renewing a sense of optimism around St. Louis. Walker’s All-Star nod, added to Burleson’s duo of homers, and Fermín’s fourth homer of the season helped keep the Cardinals in the hunt and provided a blueprint for how St. Louis can contend as they head deeper into the season. The series finale promises another competitive matchup as both teams aim to build positive momentum down the stretch.