MILWAUKEE • When Cardinals ace Carlos Martinez has gone awry, it most often has been traced to his inability to survive the early innings or to make a mundane fielding play. Martinez was able to accomplish both on Wednesday night, pitching around four Milwaukee baserunners in the first two innings but erasing one of them by starting a double play himself in the first.
Once Martinez navigated the second, it was all downhill as the Brewers simply were overmatched. Crafting one of his career gems, Martinez held the Brewers to four hits over 8 1/3 innings in a 6-0 win, striking out 10, for his first victory of the season.