ST. LOUIS - Yovani Gallardo might want to avoid the St. Louis Cardinals. The rest of the offensively challenged Milwaukee Brewers, too.
Gallardo dropped to 1-10 with a 6.83 ERA against the Cardinals in Saturday's 8-0 loss. Including a defeat in the 2011 NL division series, he's 1-11 with a 6.86 ERA.
"It's just one of those things," Gallardo said. "I know I haven't had very many good ones, but the few that I've hung in there I was able to keep it together and not let it get out of hand like it happened."
Gallardo (0-1) allowed six runs 鈥� five earned 鈥� and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings. The key for the Cardinals was a seven-run sixth inning.
"I thought he was really good," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "The inning they ended up scoring runs, one ball was hit hard off him."
Adam Wainwright pitched a four-hitter for the Cardinals' third straight shutout and drove in two runs with three hits, two in the sixth.
A 16-game winner coming off his fourth consecutive 200-strikeout season, Gallardo was 0-2 with a 12.34 ERA in three starts against St. Louis last season. He allowed a run and three hits entering the sixth, when six of the first seven batters reached safely.
Milwaukee has gone scoreless in 25 innings and has just five home runs in 10 games. Minus injured sluggers Corey Hart and Aramis Ramirez, the Brewers are 1-8 since winning on opening day.
"We need guys on base," Roenicke said. "We're not putting any pressure on anybody."
Wainwright (2-1) retired his first 10 batters and did not allow a ball out of the infield in that span. He matched his career best with 12 strikeouts in his fifth shutout and 12th complete game. He has yet to walk a batter in three starts over 22 innings.
Wainwright singled twice with an RBI in the sixth, becoming the first Cardinals pitcher to get two hits in an inning since Braden Looper singled twice in the fifth against the Padres on Aug. 6, 2007. A career .202 hitter, Wainwright lined an RBI single over a drawn-in infield to put the Cardinals ahead in the third, then beat out an infield hit and added an RBI single off Burke Badenhop.
Wainwright's career 1.94 ERA against the Brewers is the lowest among active pitchers and four of his last five starts against them have been complete games.
Ryan Braun struck out three times for the second straight day, and Logan Schafer also fanned three times. Cleanup man Rickie Weeks struck out twice before doubling in the seventh to snap an 0-for-21 slide.
Braun has missed time with a neck injury, and though he's playing, Roenicke said he Braun is far from 100 per cent.
"You can see on some of the swings, he's not his usual self," the manager said.
Jon Jay also singled twice with an RBI in the sixth, and Matt Holliday had a two-run single.
NOTES: Attendance of 44,696 was the second sellout of the homestand. ... Saint Louis coach Jim Crews, who got a multiyear deal Friday after leading the Billikens to a school-record 28 wins, threw out the first pitch. The team was introduced prior to the game. ... RHP Shelby Miller is the fourth youngest Cardinal to work seven innings and allow one hit at 22 years and 184 days. He's behind Von McDaniel (18), Bud Smith (21) and Paul Deal (22 years, 38 days). Smith and Dean threw no-hitters and McDaniel also went nine innings. ... The Brewers were held to two singles for the first time Friday night since Sept. 24, 2008, against Pittsburgh. ... Brewers SS Alex Gonzalez did not play after getting hit by a pitch on his left hand Friday night, and was hoping to play in the series finale Sunday, with Marco Estrada (1-0, 4.50) opposing St. Louis lefty Jaime Garcia (1-0, 2.92).
