MILWAUKEE — In each of Freddy Peralta's last two starts, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy had to decide whether to leave his ace out for another batter or turn things over to the bullpen and in each of those two outings, the decision backfired.
The third time, though, seemed to be the charm as Murphy stuck with Peralta with two outs and the go-ahead run on third for Nolan Arenado who flew out to first baseman Rhys Hoskins snuffing out the threat and setting the stage for Milwaukee's 3-2 victory over the Cardinals at American Family Field.
"Sometimes you have to trust them," said Murphy, who came out to talk to Peralta ahead of Arenado's at-bat.
At the time, Peralta thought that Murphy was coming out to hand the ball over to right-hander Grant Anderson. Murphy probably thought so, too, especially considering the fact that Arenado came into the game batting 10-for-36 with four home runs in his career against Peralta and had driven in the tying run with a double his last time up.
Peralta, though, had other ideas and made his case to Murphy, who made his way back to the dugout to let Peralta finish the job.
"It was a great feeling," Peralta said. "I was ready to compete."
He needed just one pitch -- a 98 MPH fastball -- to retire Arenado, as well as a spectacular effort from Hoskins who chased down made a reaching grab just steps from the Brewers' dugout.
"I think everyone in the ballpark thought we were taking him out," Murphy said. "I've been around Freddy for a lot of years and I trust him. I knew that it was a big moment for him to get through and it could maybe change some other moments in the future so it was worth the gamble."
His sixth inning escape act capped off an all-around stellar effort from the veteran right-hander, who retired the Cardinals in order through the first three innings and held them to just a run on four hits and a walk while striking out six.
Milwaukee's offense did it's part, pushing across two runs in the bottom of the inning against Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde to take a 3-1 lead that stood until the ninth when St. Louis cut the deficit to a run on Victor Scott's RBI single before Trevor Megill struck out Lars Nootbar to clinch the victory and his 14th save of the season.
Brewers Deal Civale, Add Vaughn
Aaron Civale's request for a trade was granted Friday when the Brewers dealt the right-hander to the Chicago White Sox for first baseman Andrew Vaughn.
Vaughn, 27, was the White Sox' first-round draft pick in 2019 and has hit 77 home runs in his four-plus big-league seasons but is struggling this season, slashing .189/.218/.314 in 48 games for Chicago.
The Brewers are hoping a change of scenery and some time working with their staff at Triple-A Nashville can help Vaughn get back on track.
“I think he's excited about it,” Murphy said. “He’s not having a great early season for us so far, so hopefully he’ll get himself on track and maybe come up with us.”
Misiorowski Update
A day after his dazzling big-league debut was cut short by a bout of cramping in his lower right leg, Misiorowski was no worse for the wear, save for some minor swelling in his right ankle.
"Nothing to be worried about," Murphy said.
With his first start out of the way, Misiorowski is starting preparations for his next outing which will likely be next Wednesday against the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
For Murphy, what Misiorowski does during these next few days is the most crucial part of his development as a big-league pitcher.
"The days in between (starts) are just as important as the days you pitch because that sets you up for everything," Murphy said. "He's going to learn that here, and how it works here with all the other things going on, whether it's travel or whatever it might be."
Around the Horn
Peralta is 4-0 with 1.09 ERA in seven home starts this season and the Brewers are 6-1 in those contests. ... C William Contreras drove in two runs Friday night, marking his first multiple-RBI game since May 19 against the Orioles. ... With a scoreless eighth inning, RHP Abner Uribe has not allowed a run in eight straight outings, holding opposing batters to a .143 average (4-for-28) during that stretch. ... OF Sal Frelick went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and an RBI Friday, giving him five hits so far in the series. He's batting .329 (25-for-76) over his last 20 games.
Trainers Room
--OF Garrett Mitchell (left oblique) will continue his minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville on June 20 with OF Blake Perkins (fractured shin) slated to follow on June 25.
--LHP Nestor Cortes (left elbow) will throw his second bullpen session prior to Milwaukee's game Friday.
--LHP Robert Gasser (Tommy John surgery) will face hitters during a live batting practice session at the Brewers' complex in Phoenix.
Attendance: 30,026 (1,006,662)
Up Next
The Brewers and Cardinals continue their four-game series Saturday afternoon. Left-hander Jose Quintana (4-1, 2.86 ERA) gets the start for Milwaukee while right-hander Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.75 ERA) is scheduled to start for St. Louis.