Overbay Traded to Toronto!
Cards Sweep Crew
Brewers Fall Three Games Under .500
Dennis Jenders
It was a quick game, 2:27 to be exact, and a quick loss. The Cardinals put the squeeze on in the first as So Taguchi bunted to score David Eckstein for a 1-0 lead. That would be all the Cards needed to win, but they added two in the eighth for insurance.
Ben Sheets was excellent through the seventh inning before giving up two more runs as Eckstein hit a double to right field. Carlos Lee had a throwing error right before Eckstein's at bat that allowed Skip Schumaker to advance to third on Einar Diaz's single. Diaz would advance to second on the error as well. The lack of offense and that play gave the Cardinals all the offense they would need against Sheets to squeak out a win.
The Brewers made some noise in the first when Rickie Weeks and Lyle Overbay reached on singles. But Carlos Lee and Geoff Jenkins couldn't bring them home. The combination of Lee and Jenkins had a chance to redeem themselves in the sixth when Weeks and Overbay reached on singles - but both of them registered outs to end the Brewers chances to tie, or win the game.
Sheets would have the only other chance to help his cause in the seventh. After Bill Hall doubled to deep center Damian Miller followed with an out to move Hall to third. The Cardinals took their chances pitching to J.J. Hardy and he worked the count for a walk. With runners on the corners Sheets came to bat and tried to bunt home Hall. But the ball went directly to Jeff Suppan and Chris Magruder flied out to end the inning.
Magruder came on for Brady Clark in the the fourth after Brady Clark tried to break-up a double play with a hard slide into second. Clark was removed with bruised ribs, he is listed as day-to-day.
Losing 3-0 the Brewers find themselves with a day off tomorrow before the Reds come to town for a three-game series. Chris Capuano will take the mound to see if the Brewers can rebound and sweep the Reds to get back to .500.