ST. LOUIS -- Michael McGreevy used a lucky 13 to snap an unlucky 7.
McGreevy, who turned 26 on Wednesday, pitched 6 1/3 innings to lead the Cardinals to a 5-1 win over the Brewers.
Cardinals starters have now won 13 straight games when taking the mound on their birthdays. McGreevy’s effort helped snap a four-game losing streak and a seven-game skid against their NL Central rival.
McGreevy allowed just one run on five hits. He struck out six and walked one.
McGreevy settled in after pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, retiring 15 straight Brewers from the second into the seventh inning.
His outing wasn’t without some adventure. Cooper Pratt’s liner, which left his bat at 103 mph, according to Statcast, hit McGreevy in the chest in the fifth. McGreevy recovered to throw out Pratt at first and gave a rock and roll gesture with his hands as the training staff came out to check on him.
The last Cardinals starter to win on their birthday was Kwang Hyun Kim against the Cubs on July 22, 2021.
McGreevy, who made a career-high 18th start against the Brewers, originally wasn’t scheduled to start on his birthday. But amid a flurry of moves with their pitching staff as the Cardinals have tried to navigate a stretch of 14 games in 13 days, McGreevy’s start was moved back a day to give him extra rest around the upcoming All-Star break.