By MATT PIKE
Milwaukee Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby tied Atlanta's Chris Sale for the major league lead in wins backed by Andrew Vaughn's three-run home run in his second game back, and the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 in the series finale of a rain shortened series at Busch Stadium..
Rookie Brandon Sproat started and gave up one hit and three walks over four innings while striking out five. Ashby, who improved to 6-0 on the season, entered to open the sixth and pitched two hitless innings, allowing his only runner to reach on a walk, as five pitchers combined on a four-hitter.
Vaughn's home run fueled a four run first inning. With two runners on, and two out, Jake Bauers RBI single opened the scoring driving in Brice Turang before Vaughn sent the ball sailing in his second game back off the injured list into left center field, bringing home Bauers and William Contreras. Joey Ortiz scored on Andre Pallante's wild pitch in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 5-0 for the Brewers
Alec Burleson had an RBI single in the eighth inning to get the Cardinals on the board, scoring Victor Scott II after he led off the inning with a single, but in the top of the ninth inning, Jackson Chourio hit an RBI double, bringing home Sal Frelick for the final Brewers run in the game. Chourio went 6 for 10 with three doubles in the series, including 4-for-4 Monday in his first game after recovering from a broken left hand. José Fermín hit a run-scoring grounder in the bottom half of the inning, driving in Nolan Gorman for the final run of the game.
St. Louis left fielder Nathan Church left after four innings with a bruised left leg. Milwaukee leadoff hitter and centerfielder Garrett Mitchell was scratched before the game because of illness.
Pallante took the loss, falling to 3-3 on the season, allowing five runs and eight hits in six innings, while striking out three and walking two. At the plate, the Cardinals managed just four hits, with four hitters each having one hit, Gorman going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. St. Louis lost for the second time in nine games.
Next, St. Louis travels to San Diego to begin a new series tomorrow. Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.50 ERA, 23K's) opens the series for the Cardinals against Michael King (3-2, 2.95 ERA, 39K's) for the Padres. First pitch is at 9:10pm, pregame at 9 on KY 102 (102.5FM).
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.