ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado homered in his fourth straight game and Nolan Gorman had a career-high five RBIs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Milwaukee Brewers 18-1 Monday night for their season-best fourth straight win.
Andrew Knizner hit his first career grand slam in a 10-run eighth after entering as a pinch runner earlier in the inning, which began with Tommy Edman homering. The Cardinals tied their season high with 16 hits.
Jack Flaherty (3-4) allowed three hits in seven innings and struck out 10 in his 10th career double-digit strikeout game. The 27-year-old right-hander had not pitched seven innings since May 7, 2021.
Willson Contreras returned behind the plate for his first appearance at catcher since May 5. Signed by the Cardinals a free agent to an $87.5 million, five-year contract, he was used as a designated hitter for 10 days because of defensive concerns.
Following an eight-game losing streak that dropped the Cardinals to 10-24, St. Louis has won seven of eight.
Freddy Peralta (4-3) gave up season highs of six runs and five walks in 5 1/3 innings while allowing six hits.
Arenado put St. Louis ahead with a three-run homer in the first, giving him homers in four straight games for the first time since May 14-18, 2021.
Gorman had three hits, including a two-run double in the sixth and a home run in the eighth against Louie Varland. Knizner capped the inning with the slam on a slider from Mike Brosseau, an infielder making his eighth career pitching appearance.
Knizner homered on the fourth pitch after Brosseau entered, and Gorman hit an inning-ending groundout on the following pitch.
With the Brewers trailing 8-0, Jesse Winker had an RBI single in the eighth.
MOVES
Milwaukee signed 1b/OF Darin Ruf to a one-year contract after he refused an outright assignment by San Francisco. The Brewers recalled RHP Trevor Megill from Nashville and optioned RHP Colin Rea to the Triple-A farm team.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: 1B Luke Voit (strained neck) was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Cardinals: OF Dylan Carlson (left ankle sprain) did not play after leaving Sunday's game in Boston.
UP NEXT
LHP Wade Miley (3-2, 3.60 ERA) starts Tuesday for the Brewers and LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-5, 4.11 ERA) for the Cardinals. Miley is 2-4 with a 2.75 ERA in seven starts at Busch Stadium. Montgomery is 0-5 with a 4.76 ERA in six starts since winning at Milwaukee on April 8.
