ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 10-6 comeback victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.
Arenado’s fifth career walk-off homer and sixth career grand slam gave the Cardinals their second win in their last eight games and snapped the Brewers’ six-game winning streak.
“I was like, don’t have to do too much here,” Arenado said. “Just get it to the outfield. And I know he was going to come at me with some heaters.”
The Brewers led 6-4 after Joey Ortiz’s two-run double in the eighth inning.
But the Cardinals capitalized on Devin Williams’ control issues as the Brewers’ closer suffered his first blown save of the season. Williams hit Willson Contreras to start the ninth and St. Louis tied the game at 6-all with bases loaded walks to Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham.
“This group is not going to give in,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “I love this group. They’re going to fight. They’re going to give it their best shot and they did exactly that tonight.”
Williams was frustrated with his lack of control.
“I would say it’s a worse feeling than actually giving up a hit, because I beat myself today,” Williams said. “You know, I didn’t make them beat me. I didn’t even make them swing the bat.”
Brewers manager Pat Murphy was ejected for the fourth time this season with two outs in the ninth for arguing ball and strikes.
“He is one of the best in the game,” Murphy said of Williams. “It happens and he didn’t get much help obviously.”
Ryan Helsley (5-4) pitched a scoreless 10th. Cardinals starter Kyle Gibson pitched 5 1/3 innings, while allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking two.
Brewers starter Tobias Myers allowed two runs on six hits in four innings. He struck out five and walked two. Trevor Megill (0-3) took the loss.
Pham’s sacrifice fly scored Arenado to break a scoreless tie in the fourth. Masyn Winn followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0 Cardinals.
Arenado had three hits and a walk to extend his on-base streak to 20 games.
“I feel really good with where I’m at, regardless if I perform well or not,” Arenado said. “I like where my mind is. I’m in that flow state and just try to stay there.”
Ortiz had a sacrifice fly in the fifth and William Contreras’ RBI double for the Brewers in the sixth tied the game at 2-all.
Jackson Chourio’s two-run single in the seventh gave Milwaukee a 4-2 lead. The rookie went 4 for 5 with 2 RBIs, scored a run and stole his 18th base of the season. At 20 years, 163 days, he became the youngest player with a four-hit game since Juan Soto on June 20, 2018, according to MLB.com.
Luken Baker’s two-run homer in the seventh tied the game at 4-all. It was Baker’s first career pinch hit homer and the third straight game that a Cardinals pinch hitter has gone deep. St. Louis is also the last team to turn the feat in a stretch from April 29-May 1, 2021.
It was Baker’s first at bat this season since being called up from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.
TRANSACTION
The Cardinals optioned infielder Nolan Gorman to the minors and recalled infielder José Fermín from Triple-A Memphis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: LHP Rob Zastryzny (left elbow) hopes to start playing catch after experiencing tightness in his elbow during a three-pitch rehab appearance on Aug. 13 for Triple-A Nashville.
Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) threw 85 pitches while allowing four runs on nine hits in five innings in a rehab start at Memphis. Matz allowed a homer, struck out three, walked one and hit a batter.
UP NEXT
The Brewers will start RHP Freddy Peralta (8-7, 4.00 ERA) on Thursday against Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (8-10, 5.41 ERA).
TOP PHOTO: FILE – A Milwaukee Brewers mascot cheers in the empty stands during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)