Cardinals' Garcia pitches 1-hitter in 7-0 win over Brewers
ST. LOUIS -- Wily Peralta gave a blunt assessment of his performance this season after the Milwaukee Brewer's game Thursday afternoon.
"Make a bad pitch (they) get a hit, make a good pitch (they) still get a hit," Peralta said. "I just have to keep fighting and go out here. You just work as hard as you could to get better for the next one, because the first three (starts) have been terrible."
Peralta struggled again as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Brewers 7-0. The right-hander gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings, throwing just 55 of his 96 pitches for strikes.
"I really think Wily's close," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "I know it's frustrating, we're frustrated, but I think there are some things to take out of today's game that we can go forward with. It's always going to boil down to being consistent."
Peralta (0-3), the Brewer's opening day starter, actually saw his ERA dip to 10.13.
"My slider was pretty good today," Peralta said. "That's a pitch I've been working on. I just have to keep locating my fastball."
Cardinals lefty Jaime Garcia gave the Brewers no room for error.
Garcia (1-0) pitched a one-hitter, allowing only Domingo Santana's lined single into right field with two outs in the sixth inning.
Garcia struck out 13, three more than his previous career high, and caught eight of them looking at third strikes. He is 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA in his last five starts against the Brewers.
"There's a couple guys in their lineup that hit me real well and it's a tough lineup," Garcia said. "They had a good game yesterday, they swing the bat, they take good at-bats every time they go up to the plate, so it's a challenge for me."
Randal Grichuk and Jeremy Hazelbaker hit two-run homers. Grichuk's drive in the third off Peralta, which boosted the lead to 5-0, barely eluded the glove of center field Keon Broxton. Grichuk appeared to pass teammate Brandon Moss rounding first while looking to see if Broxton made the catch, but the Brewers didn't challenge.
"It happened basically at the same time that the ball went off Keon's glove," Counsell said. "So it's kind of a lesson to us all that we have to commit a set of eyes to that."
First base umpire John Hirschbeck missed the call, too.
"It's on us in the replay era," Counsell said. "I do think he missed the call, but in the replay era we have the same kind of power that he does."
Broxton didn't know about the missed base-running blunder until after the game.
"Got a good read on it, tracked it well, found the wall, jumped up caught it with my palm and once I hit the wall it just bobbled out," Broxton said.
Hazelbaker hit his team-high third home run of the season in the seventh, against Chris Capuano.
Matt Carpenter had a two-run double in the three-run second and is hitting .471 in 34 plate appearances against Peralta.
DOUBLING DOWN
Yadier Molina's second-inning double was his 124th at the current Busch Stadium. Molina, who was tied with Albert Pujols at 123, now has more doubles than any other player at the 10-year-old stadium.
STREAK SNAPPED
Scooter Gennett went 0 for 3. It marked the first time in 18 career games at Busch Stadium he failed to reach safely.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: SS Jonathan Villar was out of the lineup for a second straight game after injuring his left ankle sliding during Monday's game. "Trying to get him back to as close to 100 percent as we can," Counsell said. "It's just day to day with it."
Cardinals: SS Ruben Tejada (strained quadriceps) began a rehab assignment at Double-A Springfield on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson is scheduled to make his third start as Milwaukee opens a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Friday. Nelson is 4-2 with a 2.48 ERA in six starts against the Pirates.
Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez is scheduled to make his 2016 home debut on Friday against Cincinnati. Martinez is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 14 appearances versus the Reds.
