SteemSports Presenter:
SteemSports Editor:
What a game it was in Milwaukee, as division rivals the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers squared off in the second game of a 3-game set at Miller Park. The game got started with a bang as Dexter Fowler and Tommy Pham sent 2 of Brewers' starter Chase Anderson's first 3 pitches out of the ballpark for back-to-back homers to start the game. Anderson settled in after the back-to-back jacks, but once again ran into trouble in the fourth and surrendered 2 more. He lasted just 4 innings and gave up 8 hits to go along with those 4 runs. After Anderson exited for the Brew Crew, and facing a 4-0 deficit, the bats woke up.
Milwaukee finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with Christian Yelich's single to center that scored Orlando Arcia. The Brewers added two more in the bottom of the eighth to cut-it to one, 4-3 heading into the final frame. The bullpen did an excellent job in relief of the ineffective Anderson, as four different pitchers combined to pitch a scoreless final 5 innings and allowed just 3 base-runners.
After the Cardinals were unable to add any insurance runs in the top of the 9th, Yelich once again stepped up to the plate, this time with two away and the Brewers down to their last out. He then sent a two-strike pitch down the line in right for the game-tying homer. Yelich had barely made it to the dugout after rounding the bases and had just begun to celebrate with his teammates as Ryan Braun stepped in and smashed the first pitch he saw to left-center for a no-doubt homer and walk-off victory for the Brewers.
Milwaukee improved to 4-1 on the young season and the Cardinals dropped to 2-3. St. Louis wasted a great outing from starter Jack Flaherty who went 5 innings and surrendered just 1 run while striking out 9 and walking 1. The bullpen was unable to hold up in a game that saw something you don't see happen everyday - it started with back-to-back homers on 2 of the game's first 3 pitches, and ended with back-to-back homers on the game's final 2 pitches.
In other action, the Kansas City Royals were able to get their first victory of the season as they edged the Tigers by the score of 1-0 in an absolute pitcher's duel. The teams combined for only 8 hits on a chilly, overcast afternoon in Detroit. Jakob Junis went 7 innings and gave up just 3 hits and no runs to get the victory for Kansas City. He struckout 6 and threw just 87 pitches in a very efficient, effective outing.
Matt Boyd was nearly as impressive for the Tigers, going 6 innings and giving up just 4 hits and 1 run. The lone blemish was a sac-fly in the second that scored Cheslor Cuthbert for the game's only run. Both bullpens were tremendous as they combined for 5 innings and gave up only a single hit and no runs. It will be interesting to see if either team can get it going a bit offensively as the Royals have scored just 2 runs in the past 2 games and Detroit has already been shutout twice in five games to start the year.
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