Brandon Woodruff and five relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Milwaukee Brewers extended their winning streak to six with a 4-0 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night in the opener of the weekend series.

Woodruff (1-0), allowed four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two in an 84-pitch outing. Joel Payamps, Gus Varland, Hoby Milner and Matt Bush kept the Cardinals off the board until the ninth, when Bryse Wilson retired three straight to preserve the Brewers’ third shutout.

Milwaukee scored two in the third off Jack Flaherty (1-1), then added single runs in the sixth and seventh. Flaherty gave up two runs on four hits in five innings and walked six while striking out three.

Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the third. Christian Yelich walked and Jesse Winker singled. Yelich took third as Willy Adames reached on a fielder’s choice and Rowdy Tellez followed with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left.

William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell followed with consecutive singles to make it 2-0. Brian Anderson walked to load the bases. Rookie Brice Turang barely missed his second grand slam with a drive just outside the right-field foul pole, but then bounced to third to end the inning.

Milwaukee made it 3-0 in the sixth. The Brewers loaded the bases with consecutive one-out singles by Anderson, Turnang and Joey Wiemer — two of which were infield dribblers. Yelich followed with an RBI groundout to first.

Adames opened the seventh with his first homer of the season to make it 4-0.

Woodruff benefited from several key defensive plays. The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in fourth on three singles, but Willson Contreras bounced into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Woodruff retired the first eight batters before Tommy Edman drew a two-out walk in the third, but Edman was thrown out trying to steal second.

–Field Level Media