Albers hangs on for 1st save as Brewers top Cards 3-2

Matt Albers got his first save for Milwaukee, retiring Kolten Wong and Dexter Fowler to strand a pair of runners, and the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 Wednesday.

Milwaukee had a two-run lead when Tommy Pham led off the bottom of the ninth with a drive against Josh Hader that hit a railing above the fence in left-center. The play originally was ruled a double but the call was overturned on a video review.

Albers relieved and allowed singles to Marcell Ozuna and Jose Martinez, then retired Wong on a foulout and struck out Fowler, who was pinch hitting, for his third big league save. He got his first two for Washington last year.

Junior Guerra (1-0) allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first start this season.

Adam Wainwright (0-2), making his second start after a stint on the disabled list caused by a strained left hamstring, allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

St. Louis has lost three of four series this season. The Cardinals' starting lineup was missing Fowler, Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina, who served a one-game suspension stemming from an altercation with Arizona manager last weekend.

Milwaukee built a 3-0 lead on home runs by Hernaz Perez in the second and Eric Thames in the third followed by Jonathan Villar's RBI groundout in the fifth.

Thames' fifth home run of the season went just over the glove of right fielder Harrison Bader, who jumped at the 9-foot fence and looked at his glove in disbelief after he failed to snag the ball.

Matt Carpenter hit a run-scoring groundout in the sixth. He failed to reach base in a game for the first time this season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: C Manny Pina was held out of the lineup with tightness in his right calf. He was available in case of an emergency. Prior to the game the club designated RHP J.J. Hoover for assignment and optioned OF Brett Phillips to Triple-A Colorado Springs to recall Guerra and RHP Jorge Lopez.

Cardinals: INF Jedd Gyorko tested his strained right hamstring on the field prior to the game and go to Class A Palm Beach on a rehabilitation assignment.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Zach Davies (0-1, 5.40) starts Friday in the opener of a three-game series at the New York Mets.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (1-1, 5.59) takes the mound start as St. Louis starts a four-game series at Cincinnati.