MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski allowed two hits in 5 1/3 shutout innings to cap his brilliant season as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Sunday.
The Brewers improved to 103-59 and closed the regular season with five straight victories, matching their longest streak of the season. The Brewers' 103 wins broke the franchise record they had set a year earlier when they went 97-65.
Milwaukee has home-field advantage throughout
the postseason as it gears up for its eighth playoff appearance in nine years.
St. Louis closed a fourth straight non-playoff season with a 77-85 record, one game worse than the Cardinals’ finish last year.
Misiorowski (16-5) struck out five and walked two while improving his ERA to 1.80, the best in the majors. Misiorowski also has an MLB-leading 252 strikeouts.
Milwaukee gave Misiorowski an early 3-0 lead when Cardinals starter Andre Pallante allowed singles to six of the first seven batters he faced. Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang and Christian Yelich each hit an RBI single.
Turang’s infield hit brought home Jake Bauers for his 100th RBI of the season. Six of them came during this weekend sweep.
Turang became the eighth player in Brewers history to have at least 100 runs and 100 RBIs in a season. Ryan Braun accomplished the feat four times. Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper and Prince Fielder did it twice each. The others are Jeromy Burnitz and John Jaha.
Gary Sánchez hit a two-run homer in the third and Chourio added a two-out RBI single in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-0. Chourio went 3 for 4.
St. Louis scored all four of its runs in the eighth inning off Chad Patrick. Leo Bernal highlighted that outburst with a three-run homer.
Shane Drohan retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his second save.
Pallante (12-9) allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings.
The NL Central champion Brewers will host either the Chicago Cubs or San Diego Padres in the opening game of an NL Division Series on Saturday.
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