MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers player who helped come up with the team’s cheesehead celebrations for home runs took advantage of an opportunity to model the headgear himself on Sunday.
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Willy Adames went 3 of 4 with a homer, double and three RBIs and the Brewers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1.
Adames hit a two-run double in the third inning and a solo shot in the fifth off Cardinals starter Jake Woodford (0-2).
Adames’ fifth-inning homer — his second of the series — gave him a chance to wear the cheesehead that goes to every Brewer after hitting a homer.
Adames normally is the guy who places the cheesehead atop every Brewers home run hitter in the dugout.
“It’s for a good cause,” Adames said. “If you hit a homer, you want to wear that. I want to wear that cheese hat every time. Everybody wants that.”
Adames said he and backup catcher Victor Caratini and equipment manager Jason Shawger were trying to come up with an idea for a home run celebration when they settled on the cheesehead, an item more commonly found in the stands at Green Bay Packers home games.
Adames said Shawger obtained a cheesehead before the season.
“He got a small one in spring training,” Adames said. “We told him it was too small, so he got a big one.”
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Christian Yelich got a chance to wear the cheesehead for the first time. The 2018 NL MVP had three hits and a solo homer that started the Brewers’ three-run outburst in the seventh.
“It was cool,” Yelich said. “It was my first time ever wearing a cheesehead. Hopefully there’s more of those to come. It’s a good home run celebration.”
The Brewers won two of three from the Cardinals in a matchup between the past two NL Central champions.
The Brewers (7-2) have won each of their first three series and own the NL’s best record as they begin a 10-game road trip.
Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (2-0) struck out seven and gave up one run, four hits and three walks in six innings. Peter Strzelecki, Matt Bush, Hoby Milner and Devin Williams went the rest of the way as Milwaukee’s bullpen extended its string of consecutive scoreless innings to 23 1/3.
The Cardinals’ biggest highlight came from rookie Jordan Walker, who continued his remarkable start.
Walker singled home Nolan Arenado in the fourth inning and has now gotten a hit in each of his first nine games. Walker tied the Cardinals record Magneuris Sierra set in 2017 for the longest hitting streak to open a major-league career.
Walker is the first player under 21 to open an MLB career with a nine-game hitting streak since a 20-year-old Ted Williams did it in 1939. Walker turns 21 on May 22.
“That’s pretty cool, but as you said, we didn’t get a win today,” Walker said. “Keep on working to get some wins in the future.”
The Cardinals wasted numerous scoring opportunities.
St. Louis put runners on the corners in the fifth, but Peralta preserved the 2-1 lead by striking out Tyler O’Neill. The score was 3-1 when the Cardinals had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh before Strzelecki struck out Arenado to complete his 14th straight scoreless appearance.
Trailing 6-1 in the eighth, the Cardinals loaded the bases with nobody out against Bush, who struck out Willson Contreras and retired Tommy Edman on a shallow fly to left before Milner struck out Taylor Motter.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said the MRI revealed no additional damage for LHP Packy Naughton, who went on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm strain on Saturday. Marmol said Naughton would undergo more testing in the next couple of days.
Cardinals OF Lars Nootbaar (left thumb bruise) is planning to take some swings Monday as he gets closer to a return. Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (groin) threw 33 pitches in a bullpen session Saturday. Wainwright has another bullpen session Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: At Colorado on Monday. Scheduled starters are LHP Steven Matz (0-1, 6.75 ERA) for the Cardinals and RHP Germán Márquez (1-1, 4.76) for the Rockies.
Brewers: At Arizona on Monday. LHP Wade Miley (1-0, 0.00) starts for the Brewers and RHP Zac Gallen (0-1, 7.59) pitches for the Diamondbacks.
TOP PHOTO: Milwaukee Brewers’ Willy Adames reacts after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, April 9, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)