In the top of the fifth inning, Zack Greinke allowed a pretty discouraging two-out RBI single that extended the Cardinals' lead over the Brewers to 5-2. At that point, the Miller Park crowd wasn't silent, but it wasn't the Miller Park crowd to which we've grown accustomed over the past several weeks. The Cardinals looked to be in control, and Jaime García was in a pretty good groove.
Brewers vs. Cardinals: Milwaukee Scores A Bunch, Knocks Garcia Out
Whoops! Forget all that, because in the bottom of the fifth, the Brewers tackled the Cardinals, sliced open their abdomens, and feasted on their disgusting raw innards. The Brewers have made a mess of everything, but they’re satiated. For now.
Garcia began the inning by allowing a ground-ball single to Corey Hart. Fine. It's just a ground-ball single. Whatever. But things only got worse. Jerry Hairston Jr. followed by ripping a changeup down the left-field line for a double. With none out and two runners in scoring position, Ryan Braun came to the plate, and Braun hit the first pitch down the line the other way for an automatic double. Just like that, it was 5-4, and Miller Park was alive.
Whether or not the situation got in Garcia's head, we can't be sure, but his very next pitch was a fastball down the heart of the plate to Prince Fielder.
The ball whistled out of the yard on a line, and it was 6-5 Brewers. Tony La Russa came out of the dugout and replaced Garcia with Octavio Dotel, with Garcia’s outing having come apart in an instant.
The Brewers weren't done, though. Of course the Brewers weren't done. Dotel got Rickie Weeks to tap back to the mound, but Dotel's throw to first was wild, and Weeks advanced safely to second base. The next batter was Yuniesky Betancourt, and Yuniesky God Damned Betancourt lifted a hanging curve over the left-center fence. Just like David Freese's home run earlier, Betancourt's fly looked like a routine out, but it just kept on going and going and going and BAM! 8-5 Brewers.
Dotel kept the Brewers there and eventually finished the inning, but this thing sure turned in a hurry. Greinke will return to the mound for the top of the sixth, as the Cardinals look to play catch-up.
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