Errors, walks, RBI ground outs, and unearned runs were the themes of the day in Monday's game between the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. At the end of the sloppy game, the Brewers overcame two costly errors from Jean Segura and tallied a 5-4 victory in Busch Stadium.
Segura made two throwing errors from the shortstop position that each led to Cardinals runs, but Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong returned the favor with two errors of his own, including one to open the game.
Brewers lead-off hitter Carlos Gomez reached on Wong's fielding error to lead off the game. Gomez would eventually come around to score on Adam Lind's RBI fielder's choice to give Milwaukee the early 1-0 lead.
In fact, the first five runs of the game all scored on ground balls to the infield. Scooter Gennett had an RBI ground out in the second, and Aramis Ramirez followed suit in the top of the sixth.
St. Louis scored twice on RBI ground balls: Matt Adams's grounder to second in the third and Adam Wainwright's bunt. On that bunt play, Ramirez fielded the bunt and got the force out at third. Segura, though, overthrew first baseman Lind. Wong, who started the play on first, came around to score, and Wainwright ended up on second. That play tied the game at 2-2 until Ramirez's at bat in the sixth.
Gomez finally drove in a run with a hit that found the outfield grass in the top of the seventh, scoring Gennett. Jonathan Lucroy followed with a ground ball to Wong, who threw the ball away (his second error) to allow Gomez to score and give Milwaukee a 5-2 lead.
Segura, though, committed his second error in bottom of the seventh when he threw the ball away on Matt Holliday's ground ball to open the inning. Adams singled next, and after a wild pitch from Jeremy Jeffress and a mound meeting, Jhonny Peralta doubled them both home to pull the Cardinals to within one. No further scoring occurred for the rest of the game.
Out of the nine total runs scored, five were earned, and four were unearned thanks to the four errors.
Matt Garza (W: 1-1, 4.22) pitched 5 3/2 innings for the win. He allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits. He walked five and struck out four. Two of those walks (Yadier Molina, Wong) preceded the Wainwright bunt, leading to Segura's overthrow. Four Brewers relievers combined for one earned run and one unearned run in 3 1/3 innings with Francisco Rodriguez (S: 1, 3.00) pitching a perfect ninth to close it out.
Wainwright (L: 1-1, 2.08) lasted seven innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits. He walked one and struck out four.
The three-game series takes a break Tuesday and resumes Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. EDT. Milwaukee will send Wily Peralta (0-0, 2.57) to the mound while St. Louis will counter with Lance Lynn (0-1, 1.50). The series concludes Thursday at 12:15 (Mike Fiers vs. John Lackey).