MILWAUKEE (AP) — Garrett Mitchell doubled, walked twice and scored in his first big league game since April, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Thursday.
Corbin Burnes, Julio Teheran (3-5) and Ethan Small combined on a six-hitter for the NL Central champions. Burnes struck out four and walked one in four innings in his final tuneup for the postseason, throwing 39 of his 66 pitches for strikes.
The Brewers reinstated Mitchell from the 60-day injured list. The 24-year-old Mitchell, a 2020 first-round pick, hurt his left shoulder on a slide into third base on April 18. He had surgery in May to repair a torn labrum, and it was thought at that time that a return at any point this season would be improbable.
Mitchell led off the third with a double off the wall in left on Dakota Hudson’s first pitch of the inning. Christian Yelich then hit an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
St. Louis lost its 90th game for the first time since going 70-92 in 1990. In addition to that 1990 season, the Cardinals are assured of finishing in last place for only the second time since 1918.
Hudson (6-3) was charged with three runs and seven hits in five-plus innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Yelich also doubled and scored on William Contreras’ single in the first. Contreras extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.
The Brewers added another run when Carlos Santana scampered home on Willy Adames’ double-play grounder in the sixth.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Juniel Querecuto lined to shortstop and Burnes fanned Masyn Winn to reach 200 strikeouts for the third consecutive season.
After Burnes departed, Teheran pitched four innings and Small got three outs for his first career save.
WORTH NOTING
The Brewers designated infielder/outfielder Brian Anderson for assignment to make room for Mitchell.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: 1B Paul Goldschmidt sat out for a second consecutive game but is expected to be back in the lineup for the weekend series at home, manager Oliver Marmol said.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Jake Woodford (2-2, 5.09 ERA) takes the mound when St. Louis hosts Cincinnati on Friday night
Brewers: Host the Cubs on Friday in the opener of a three-game set to end the regular season. Neither team has announced its starter for the game.