The Milwaukee Brewers have no answers for the St. Louis Cardinals, and that was especially true Sunday against starter Mike Leake.
The Brewers struck out ten times against Leak, marking the 42nd time this season they have amassed ten or more K’s in 87 games played this season. They finished the game with a dozen strikeouts in a 5-1 loss at Miller Park.
Brewers rookie Junior Guerra (6-2) had a three-game win streak snapped after allowing three runs on seven hits. It marks just the third Brewers loss in the 12 games started by Guerra this season.
Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the first when Jonathan Lucroy singled in Jonathan Villar. That duo combined to go 4-for-8 in the game.
The Cardinals then scored five unanswered runs, hitting two home runs off Guerra in the process.
Milwaukee has scored one run or less in six of their last 11 games. They twice had a runner at third base with no outs and failed to get him in.
The rivalry has been very one-sided between the two NL Central foes as Milwaukee has not won a series against St. Louis since 2014, marking a stretch of 14 consecutive series. The Brewers are 0-13-1 in those series.
Milwaukee hits the All-Star break with a 38-49 record, 11 games under .500. They currently sit 8.5 games back in the Wild Card race and 14.5 back in the Central. After four days off, the Brewers will return to action Friday at Cincinnati.
Also, Milwaukee has optioned reliever Michael Blazek to Triple-A Colorado Springs. The righthander has an ERA over 12 and allowed four runs without recording an out in Saturday’s loss to the Cardinals.
AUDIO: Craig Counsell says a lack of key hits is holding offense back :20
AUDIO: Craig Counsell on outing of starter Junior Guerra :28
AUDIO: Craig Counsell on why they optioned Michael Blazek to Triple-A :28