MILWAUKEE (AP) — Tyrone Taylor hit two run-scoring doubles and the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers came from behind to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Taylor’s second double in the seventh drove in Brian Anderson with the tiebreaking run after Anderson doubled off Jacob Barnes (0-1).
“Tyrone’s a pretty primary piece right now, the way he’s played the second half of the season,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s just an all-around player. That’s what keeps you in the lineup.”
Taylor is batting .333 (18 for 54) with seven doubles, four home runs, 13 RBIs, 12 runs and a 1.042 OPS over his last 16 games.
“I think it’s important to win at any time of the year,” said Taylor, who had two stints on the injured list with a right elbow sprain. “That’s what we go out there to do every day. We’re just trying to do our best every day and play to win.”
William Contreras doubled and scored on Taylor’s hit and an error in the sixth. Taylor took third on a throwing error by left fielder Richie Palacios and scored when Rowdy Tellez hit into a fielder’s choice.
“We made some mistakes on the field that cost us,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “At the end of the day, we’ll learn from it.”
The Cardinals, in last-place in the NL Central, have 89 losses for the first time since 1997.
Joel Payamps (7-5) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. Devin Williams pitched the ninth for his 36th save in 40 chances.
Milwaukee claimed the division crown for the third time in six seasons on Tuesday night thanks to the Atlanta Braves, who overcame a six-run deficit and beat the wild-card contending Chicago Cubs 7-6. It was the Brewers’ sixth division crown in franchise history.
The Brewers made the postseason for the fifth time in the last six seasons and ninth overall.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the eighth off Andrew Chafin. He escaped the jam by hustling to first to take the relay throw from shortstop Brice Turang and complete a double play.
Cardinals starter Zack Thompson allowed two runs — one earned — on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
“It’s been a roller coaster of a year,” Thompson said. “I feel like it’s made me a lot stronger, a lot more resilient.”
Masyn Winn hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded off Milwaukee starter Wade Miley in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. That was the only run on six hits that Miley allowed in five innings.
“Wade did a heck of a job,” Counsell said. “He’s a baseball rat. That’s the best way to say it. He’s got a great head for the game.”
The Cardinals capitalized on reliever Abner Uribe’s wildness for a run in the sixth. Luken Baker singled, moved to second on a walk and scored after two wild pitches.
Cardinals rookie outfielder Jordan Walker’s single in the eighth extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: 1B Paul Goldschmidt got the game off. … C Willson Contreras, who went on the 10-day injured list with left wrist tendonitis on Sept. 22, got a second opinion and won’t need surgery, manager Oliver Marmol said.
Brewers: RHP JB Bukauskas was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right ring finger tendon injury retroactive to Sept. 25. … LHP Ethan Small (0-0, 15.00 ERA) was recalled for the second time from Triple-A Nashville. … LF Christian Yelich, 1B Carlos Santana and SS Willy Adames were not in the lineup as manager Craig Counsell rests his starters.
EDMAN OWNS MILWAUKEE
Tommy Edman, who had two hits Wednesday night, has 16 hits against Brewers’ pitching in 2023, the most by any player in the NL.
UP NEXT
RHP Corbin Burnes (10-8, 3.46 ERA) leads the Brewers against RHP Dakota Hudson (6-2, 4.95) for the Cardinals in the final of the three-game series.
