MILWAUKEE — What started with Steven Matz zeroing in on his first chance to make a better second impression with his new club became the first true showcase of the season for how the Cardinals intend to end taut games.
The Cardinals’ bullpen inherited a one-run lead in the sixth inning Saturday, got a vital boost with another run in the eighth, and shepherded the game through the final 10 outs. Right-hander Giovanny Gallegos, the Cardinals’ closer who is advertised as available in any inning needed, took over in the eighth and secured a 2-1 victory against Milwaukee at American Family Field.
Paul DeJong’s 100th double of his career produced the game’s only run in its first seven innings. In the eighth, Nolan Arenado, the National League’s leading hitter, doubled, and designated hitter Corey Dickerson drove home Arenado to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Milwaukee would cleave that lead in half with No. 9 hitter Victor Caratini’s homer with two outs in the eighth inning off lefty Genesis Cabrera. That was the last pitch Cabrera threw.
Gallegos handled the rest.
For years, the Brewers have built their playoff-bound teams around a versatile and dominant bullpen, anchored by All-Star lefty Josh Hader and St. Louis-area native Devin Williams. Hader received his Reliever of the Year trophy before Friday’s game. Williams, gifted with a change-up so beguiling it has the nickname “airbender,” is a season removed from winning the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award. Around them, Brewers manager Craig Counsell is both creative and aggressive with his use of the bullpen, and the results reflect that. Milwaukee’s relievers had the highest strikeout rate for a bullpen in the majors, and since 2018 the Brewer bullpen’s 4.00 ERA is the third-lowest in the NL.
As they seek to unseat Milwaukee from atop the division, the Cardinals better have a bullpen to match, one that like the Brewers won’t leak late.
A leadoff single greeted Gallegos in the ninth inning to put the tying run on base. That threat didn’t last long. Gallegos got a groundball from pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez, and because the Cardinals were shifted against the left-handed hitter, birthday boy Arenado handled the pivot at second base for the game-ending double play.
Matz (1-1) struck out six, did not walk a batter, and allowed only one batter to reach scoring position. Through the heart of his start, as he protected a scoreless tie, Matz retired 11 consecutive Brewers, and by design he got more aggressive and arguably more effective as he got deeper into the game. The lefty need 13 pitches to throw a perfect third inning, 11 to retire the side in order in the fourth, and only nine pitches to finish the fifth. At the same time, he was able to strike out four in a six-batter stretch.
A feel for the change-up was a driving part of his most dominant stretch, and it was that touch that was lacking in his first start for his new team. Signed to a four-year deal before the start of this winter’s lockout, Matz had early success in his first start before a blister on his finger developed and so did a lack of control. By the time he headed to the dugout, he’d allowed seven runs and collected only nine outs. Five of those runs came in one inning, four on one swing.
The Brewers had little success generating a single baserunner against Matz, let alone runs. One of the few times the Cardinals had the opportunity against Brewers starter Adrian Houser, DeJong capitalized.
In the at-bat that produced the game’s first run, DeJong saw five sinkers in the first six pitches from Houser. One of the game’s rising sinkerballers, Houser confounded the Cardinals with that pitch in 2021. While the Brewers boasted three All-Stars in the rotation and the eventual Cy Young Award winner in Corbin Burnes, it was Houser that vexed the Cardinals. He went 3-0 in four starts against the division rivals and had an ERA less than 0.50.
Against the Cardinals, Houser flooded the strike zone with sinkers.
And then he would widen his usage from there.
“I think we’ve chased him a little more than we wanted,” manager Oliver Marmol said.
DeJong did not.
Three of the five power sinkers Houser threw, DeJong fouled off. He ignored two others for balls, and when Houser (0-2) dipped a slider into the mix, ignored it for a ball. Down in the count, Houser threw four consecutive sinkers to run the count full on DeJong. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Houser flipped a curveball. DeJong stung it down the left-field line for the RBI double.
Matz left the cleanliness of his line in the hand of Ryan Helsley in the sixth inning despite getting a strikeout with his final pitch. Matz struck out Willy Adames with a 94-mph sinker for his second out of the sixth inning, and that was it. His 77th pitch was one of his swiftest and definitely his last. A bloop single in that inning put Andrew McCutchen on base. He stole second on Helsley to get into scoring position for No. 3 hitter Hunter Renfroe.
Helsley kept McCutchen there by sending Renfroe back.
With a full count, Helsley sizzled a 101.2-mph fastball past Renfroe. The fastest pitch thrown thus far in the majors Saturday ended the inning and kept Matz’s start scoreless for his 5 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals had Jordan Hicks available for long relief, if needed, after Matz. The right-hander is set to start at some point in the upcoming Miami series, and he’s twice had the first start of the season delayed by a rainout or the Cardinals’ decision.
After Matz sink, sink, sinking from the left side, the Cardinals went to the right-hander Helsley who can elevate with heavy velocity, and then gave Milwaukee another eye level from the left with Cabrera’s speed. The two-out, solo home run bounced Cabrera from the game and turned it over to Gallegos, who lives in the lower reaches of the strike zone with a plunging pitch.
The Cardinals believe the different looks they can throw at opponents is what gives their bullpen strength.
That’s what it looked like Saturday.
