MILWAUKEE -- The Cardinals did something Wednesday night only one other team had team had done to the Milwaukee Brewers this season. They stacked consecutive wins atop the division leaders at Miller Park.
Generating six early runs with three home runs, including a fourth-inning grand slam by Jake Westbrook, the Cardinals walked away with an 8-3 decision before a crowd of 38,073.
First-inning home runs by shortstop Rafael Furcal and first baseman Albert Pujols gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead that the Brewers overcame in three innings. Consecutive hit batters, an off-the-wall single that failed to score lead runner David Freese, and Westbrooks' one-out grand slam left the Cardinals with a 6-2 lead that was never challenged.
Westbrook (11-7) worked five innings before Kyle McClellan, Marc Rzepczynksi and Jason Motte secured the final 12 outs.
The Brewers' only other back-to-back home losses this season occurred July 4-5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wednesday's win brought the Cardinals' within 8 1/2 games of the Brewers' division lead. The Brewers finished 21-7 in August compared to the Cardinals' 15-13 mark.
Brewers starting pitcher Randy Wolf (11-9) struggled from the outset and left after surrendering six runs in five innings.
A night after managing only six singles and two unearned runs in a 2-1 win, the Cardinals mashed five extra-base hits.
Cards exploit carnival-like fourth inning
MILWAUKEE -- A game increasingly shaping up as a NL Central sideshow continued in Wednesday's fourth inning when the Cardinals parlayed consecutive hit batters, some baserunning hijinks and a magical swing by starting pitcher Jake Westbrook into a 6-3 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Minutes after Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun stumbled rounding third base to cost himself an inside-the-park home run, the Cardinals created a bizarre rally after Brewers lefthander Randy Wolf hit third baseman David Freese and right fielder Lance Berkman with pitches.
Catcher Yadier Molina looked to have broken a 2-2 tie when he lined a pitch off the right field wall. However, Freese broke slowly off second base and was held at third base coach Jose Oquendo. Berkman and Molina never got the memo and both runners ended up at second base as the throw came to the plate. The madcap play ended with Molina retracing his way back to first base in time to beat the throw.
After a force out at the plate, Westbrook cranked his first career home run -- a grand slam to left field. Westbrook entered the game batting .098 this season and .113 for his career. The blast was the third grand slam in three years by a Cardinals pitcher. Chris Carpenter and Brad Penny smoked one in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
The Brewers, who earlier erased a 2-0 deficit, crawled within 6-3 when shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt broke an 0-for-23 skid with a one-out triple then scored on Jerry Hairston Jr.'s single.
Cards, Brewers did early long ball
MILWAUKEE -- The Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers wasted no time suggesting Wednesday's game at Miller Park will be a flexing competition.
Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal led off the game with a home run on Randy Wolf's third pitch and first baseman Albert Pujols followed with another solo shot two hitters later. The blast was Furcal's third since the Cardinals acquired him on July 31 -- all against the Brewers. One night after punking a fan after making a running catch in foul territory, Pujols added further insult by driving his 32nd home run to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
The Brewers also extended a rough welcome to Jake Westbrook.
Right fielder and leadoff hitter Corey Hart turned on Westbrook's fifth pitch for a solo shot to right field.
According to Fox Sports Midwest research, Wednesday marked the first instance of dueling leadoff home runs in a Cardinals game since Aug. 25, 1995 against the Colorado Rockies.
The Brewers got to Westbrook for four hits in the first two innings but stranded a runner in scoring position each frame. Westbrook got the final out of the first inning by going into a full windup with Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun on second base. When Braun broke for third, Westbrook cut short his delivery and threw to the base for an easy out.
The Brewers tied the game in the bottom of the third with an unearned run.
After Pujols dropped shortstop Rafael Furcal's throw on Nyjer Morgan's one-out grounder, Braun launched a drive that eluded center fielder Allen Craig and ricocheted off the angled wall.
Morgan scored easily and Braun appeared headed for an inside-the-park home run when he stumbled twice between third base and home plate. He was tagged out in a rundown and the Brewers settled for a 2-2 tie.
Lohse bumped from Sunday start
MILWAUKEE -- Much to his surprise, Kyle Lohse learned today that he will not be making Sunday's start against the Cincinnati Reds.
Trying to avoid matching Edwin Jackson against the Milwaukee Brewers for the fourth time in less than five weeks, manager Tony La Russa will have Jackson start on regular rest Sunday and bump Lohse to next Tuesday against the Brewers.
The team's game notes listed Lohse as Sunday's starter; however, La Russa said the pairing was erroneous when asked about it before Wednesday night's game at Miller Park. Lohse initially described himself only as "available" when approached. Lohse has worked a combined eight innings in his last two starts, most recently gaining his 100th career win in exchange for five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Though La Russa did not make a direct connection, concerns over Lohse's innings load plays a part in the move. Lohse has amassed 162 innings after missing significant portions of the previous two seasons due to compartment syndrome and resulting surgery on his right forearm. Lohse's monthly ERA has escalated each month, from 1.64 in April to 2.57 in May to 4.55 in June to 5.53 in July. He exits August with a 5.92 ERA that included two three-inning starts.
The modified schedule means Lohse will go nine days between starts.
Cards push for rarity against Brewers
MILWAUKEE -- The Cardinals will trot out another newfangled lineup tonight in an attempt to hand the Milwaukee Brewers consecutive home losses for only the second time this season.
The Brewers currently stand 50-17 at Miller Park, by far the best home percentage in franchise history. They carry a 2.53 ERA over their last 41 games, the span in which they have asserted themselves within the NL Central by turning a tight race into a rout.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa used a first-time lineup Tuesday that went 0-for-17 among its top five spots. One of those five spots was assigned to right fielder Lance Berkman, who batted in the No. 2 slot for the first time this season. Berkman drops to No. 6 tonight against Brewers lefthander Randy Wolf. Other nuances include Allen Craig's return to center field and shortstop Rafael Furcal batting leadoff.
Jake Westbrook (10-7) takes the ball in search of a better result against the Brewers, whom he limited to three runs in eight innings during an Aug. 10 loss.
Westbrook is 0-2 despite a 3.00 ERA in four career starts against the Brewers. Westbrook quietly leads all major league pitchers with 64 fielding chances, testimony to the best ground-ball percentage in the major leagues since being acquired from the Cleveland Indians 13 months ago.
Aside from the chance to climb within 8 1/2 games of the Brewers' division lead, tonight also affords the Cardinals a chance to win consecutive road games for the first time since Aug. 7 in Florida.
Cardinals lineup:
SS Rafael Furcal
CF Allen Craig
1B Albert Pujols
LF Matt Holliday
3B David Freese
RF Lance Berkman
C Yadier Molina
2B Ryan Theriot
P Jake Westbrook
Brewers lineup:
RF Corey Hart
CF Nyjer Morgan
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
3B Casey McGehee
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
2B Jerry Hairston Jr.
C George Kottaras
P Randy Wolf
