The Cardinals lost another opportunity to sweep the Milwaukee Brewers, despite coming back from a late 5-run lead, losing in 13 innings 9-8 to close out the series at Miller Park.
Kyle Lohse struggled for the first time this season, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits over just 4 innings, leaving the game down 4-2. The Cardinals scored a run to cut the lead to 1 in the 5th, but Brad Thompson struggled again in relief and left the 6th inning down 8-3. St. Louis mounted a furious comeback over the 8th and 9th innings, tying the game and sending it into extra frames, only to see Gabe Kapler, who was managing the Boston Red Sox Class A affiliate at this time last year, hit a line shot off Jason Isringhausen to knock in the winning run in the bottom half of the 13th.
This was a strange game, indeed, with two St. Louis pitchers coming through with and RBI-Kyle Lohse helping his own cause with and RBI single and Adam Wainwright knocking in a run as a pinch hitter (Wainwright did not pitch in the game). Leadoff man Skip Shumaker was 3-6 with a walk to raise his average to .324 on the year. Troy Glaus was 3-7 with and RBI and Aaron Miles was 4-5 with a walk, run scored, and an RBI and ended the game as the shortstop after Cesar Izturis was injured after being hit by a pitch in the 9th. With Yadier Molina the only man left on the bench, Tony LaRussa was forced to put Molina behind the plate and move catcher Jason LaRue to 1st base, bumping Albert Pujols, who was 2-6 on the game with a walk, 2 RBI, and a run scored, over to second base to finish the game. Pujols came up to the Cardinals as a 3rd baseman and spent time in left field before permanently making the move to 1st.
St. Louis will try to get back to normalcy against the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow night at 6:05pm (Central time). The Cards will send Todd Wellemeyer (2-0, 3.24 ERA) to the mound against Pirates righty Ian Snell (2-1, 4.07 ERA).
