Brewers Rally Past Cardinals With Four-Run Seventh

Christian Yelich of the Brewers scoring a run against the Cardinals

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

July 7, 2026

Brewers 4, Cardinals 3

The St. Louis Cardinals carried a three-run lead into the seventh inning Monday night at Busch Stadium before the Milwaukee Brewers erupted for four runs to steal a 4-3 win in the series opener. Dustin May was dominant through 4 2/3 scoreless innings for the Cardinals, but a trio of relievers could not protect the lead. Shane Drohan earned the win as Ryan Fernandez took the loss and Trevor Megill closed it out for the save. The Brewers scored all four of their runs in the decisive seventh.

Cardinals Build an Early Lead

The Cardinals jumped on Brewers starter Shane Drohan early. In the third inning, Nelson Velázquez grounded into a force out that scored Pedro Pagés for a 1-0 lead, and José Fermín followed with an RBI single to score JJ Wetherholt and make it 2-0. Fermín collected two hits and drove in a run on the night.

The Cardinals added to the lead in the sixth. Masyn Winn singled home Velázquez to push the margin to 3-0. Winn finished with two hits and an RBI from the middle of the order.

May Sets the Tone

May was excellent for the Cardinals. The right-hander allowed four hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. He kept the Brewers off balance and exited with the Cardinals holding a 3-0 lead. The trouble came after his exit, as Justin Bruihl, Ryan Fernandez, and Ryne Stanek could not hold the three-run cushion.

The Seventh Unravels

The Brewers flipped the game in the seventh. With the Cardinals clinging to a 3-0 lead, David Hamilton delivered a two-run double that scored Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick to cut the deficit to 3-2. Moments later, Brice Turang laced a two-run single to score Joey Ortiz and Christian Yelich, putting the Brewers ahead 4-3.

Fernandez was charged with three earned runs without recording an out as the Brewers batted around in the inning.

Cardinals Fall Short Late

The Cardinals could not answer. Chad Patrick mowed through two 1-2-3 innings for the Brewers before Megill handled the ninth for the save. Winn led off the ninth to put the tying run aboard, but Megill popped Nathan Church up before striking out Alec Burleson and Bryan Torres back-to-back to end the game.

The Cardinals stranded six runners and went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

What Went Right for the Cardinals

May’s Scoreless Start

May was superb, striking out seven over 4 2/3 scoreless innings without a walk.

Fermín and Winn Produce

Fermín went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Winn added two hits and a run driven in.

What Went Right for the Brewers

A Four-Run Seventh

The Brewers turned the game with a four-run seventh. Hamilton’s two-run double and Turang’s two-run single erased the deficit and put them ahead for good.

Turang’s Big Night

Turang drove in two runs with his go-ahead single and finished as the difference-maker. His seventh-inning hit was the decisive blow.

What Went Wrong for the Cardinals

A Relief Collapse

Bruihl, Fernandez, and Stanek could not hold a three-run lead in the seventh, aided by a Fernandez throwing error with nobody out. Fernandez was charged with three runs without recording an out. Stanek escaped with a groundball double play, or the situation could have been even worse.

Stranded Chances

The Cardinals went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Additionally, two of the six they left on base were in scoring position.

What Went Wrong for the Brewers

A Slow Start

The Brewers were held scoreless through six innings and trailed by three before finally breaking through in the seventh.

Quick Hits

The Cardinals fell to 47-41 with the loss as the Brewers improved to 56-33.
The Brewers scored all four of their runs in the seventh inning.
The Brewers and Cardinals both went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Looking Ahead

Shane Drohan (4-2, 2.97 ERA) earned the win for the Brewers as Ryan Fernandez (1-2, 2.70) took the loss for the Cardinals, both in relief. Trevor Megill earned the save.

The Cardinals and Brewers will continue their series Tuesday, July 7 at 1:15 pm Central at Busch Stadium. Jacob Misiorowski (9-4, 1.47 ERA) will start for the Brewers against Michael McGreevy (3-7, 3.12) for the Cardinals.