Cards win 11th in row, best streak since 2001; stall Brewers

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill homered as the St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th straight game, extending their lead for the second NL wild-card spot and beating the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 Wednesday night.

Goldschmidt also doubled, singled and scored four runs to help St. Louis stretch its best winning streak since an 11-game string in 2001.

The Cardinals' longest winning streak in franchise history is 14, in 1935 with a team led by Hall of Famer pitcher Dizzy Dean.

St. Louis was 8½ games out of a wild-card spot on Aug. 10 before surging. They now lead by 4 1/2 games over Cincinnati and Philadelphia for the final NL playoff slot.

The Brewers clinched their fourth straight playoff berth on Sept. 18, but have since lost four straight, including three to the Cardinals. They have scored a total of only five runs in the three games against St. Louis.

The Brewers, whose magic number to clinch the NL Central stayed at three, lead the Cardinals by 8½ games.

Miles Mikolas (2-2), who missed all of 2020 with an injured right shoulder and a considerable part of this season with forearm tightness, gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings. It was his longest outing of the season.

St. Louis scored six runs before Milwaukee starter Brett Anderson (4-9) departed with two outs in the second inning. He faced 13 batters, giving up six hits, including a home run and three consecutive doubles.

The left-hander was reinstated from the 10-day injured list to make the start. He had exited his previous start after two innings after being hit by a line drive and suffering a bruised left shoulder.

O’Neill’s 29th home run gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead in the first. Tommy Edman hit a sacrifice fly in the second that drove in two runs — runners were able...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Cards-win-11th-in-row-best-streak-since-2001-16480803.php