Cardinals rookie infielder Nolan Gorman hit two homers in a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Gorman went 4 for 4 with a pair of solo shots and four RBIs as the Cardinals snapped Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak and regained a share of the NL Central lead. The Cardinals and Brewers are both 39-31 after splitting the first two match ups of this four-game series.
Gorman broke a 2-all tie and put the Cardinals ahead for good with a homer to center field off Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-1) in the fourth inning. The rookie extended the lead to 4-2 with a drive over the right-field wall against Miguel Sanchez in the seventh.
The 22-year-old Gorman could have plenty more ahead of him.
Since making his major league debut May 20, Gorman has six homers in 29 games. His first five all traveled at least 400 feet, including his 428-foot shot in the fourth. The streak ended when his seventh-inning homer went 396 feet.
The Cardinals also got great work from their bullpen.
Zack Thompson (1-0), Drew VerHagen, Giovanny Gallegos and Ryan Helsley combined to allow just one hit and one walk in six innings of scoreless relief. The Brewers had only four hits.
Gorman’s big night started with a two-out RBI single in the first as the Cardinals grabbed a 2-0 lead. Willy Adames tied it in the bottom half with a two-run homer off Jack Flaherty.
But the Brewers failed to capitalize on Flaherty’s control issues.
Flaherty retired just one of his first five batters – allowing Adames’ homer and three walks – but avoided further damage in his three-inning stint by continually pitching out of trouble. Flaherty matched a career high with five walks.
It was Flaherty’s second appearance after having a platelet-rich plasma injection in March while recovering from shoulder inflammation. The right-hander made his season debut last Wednesday.
Gonzalez allowed three runs and four hits over four innings with two strikeouts and one walk in his Brewers debut after getting claimed off waivers from Minnesota. He started in place of Aaron Ashby, who went on the injured list Monday.
UP NEXT
RHP Adam Wainwright (5-5, 3.06 ERA) starts for the Cardinals and LHP Eric Lauer (6-2, 3.57) gets the call for the Brewers when the four-game series continues Wednesday night. Game time is at 7:10 p.m.