Frankie Montas blanked the St. Louis Cardinals on one hit in seven innings Tuesday as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers won 3-2 to extend their winning streak to six games.
Montas (6-8) struck out three batters and walked one as the Brewers improved to 7-1 against the Cardinals this season.
Brewers closer Devin Williams escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to earn his fifth save, while William Contreras went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Sal Frelick drove in one run and scored another.
Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who lost for the seventh time in eight games to fall 12 games behind the National League Central-leading Brewers.
St. Louis starting pitcher Erick Fedde (8-7) allowed two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out two.
The Brewers took a 1-0 second-inning lead when Fedde lost control. With one out, Willy Adames and Tyler Black drew walks to set up Frelick’s two-out RBI single.
Montas retired the first 10 batters he faced. Alec Burleson finally broke through with a single in the fourth inning, but Montas quickly dispatched the next two hitters.
Milwaukee increased its lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning. Frelick hit a one-out triple and scored on Joey Ortiz’s single through the pulled-in infield.
The Brewers threatened again in the sixth inning. Contreras hit a one-out single and Black drew a two-out walk. Shawn Armstrong relieved Fedde and retired Rhys Hoskins on a groundout.
Milwaukee made it 3-0 in the eighth inning when Garrett Mitchell reached on an infield single and scored on Contreras’ double.
The Cardinals cut their deficit to 3-2 in the eighth inning off reliever Nick Mears. Lars Nootbaar led off with a single and Carpenter hit a pinch-hit homer with two outs.
St. Louis threatened again in the ninth inning. Brendan Donovan hit a one-out single and went to third on Nolan Arenado’s double.
After Williams walked Nootbaar intentionally, he struck out Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman to close out the game.