Brewers knock off Cardinals 3-2 in 12 innings

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Gomez noticed the high leg kick. No matter that it was strong-armed Yadier Molina behind the plate, the Milwaukee speedster took off. Twice.

Gomez walked against left-hander Kevin Siegrist with one out, stole second and third and then scored the go-ahead run on a bloop hit by rookie Hector Gomez in the 12th inning as the Brewers ended the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals’ three-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory Tuesday night.

“Nobody runs on any catcher. You’re always timing the pitcher,” Gomez said. “Everybody knows I’m running. They gave me the opportunity, he picked the leg up, I’m going.”

Brandon Kintzler (3-3) got the last out in the 11th and Francisco Rodriguez closed for his 42nd save in 47 chances. The third-place Brewers have won five of six and are four games back of St. Louis, which has a 2 1/2-game lead on Pittsburgh with 11 to go.

“You know something? We deserved a bloop,” Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. “We did. I mean, they get bloops to hurt us all the time.”

The Brewers are 1 1/2 games behind the Pirates for the second NL wild card.

Hector Gomez got his first career RBI on a ball that dropped just out of the reach of first baseman Matt Adams in shallow right field. Hector Gomez also scored tying run as a pinch runner in the ninth.

“It feels good,” Gomez said through a translator. “As soon as I saw the ball had a chance, I said, ‘Oh, boy, we have a chance.'”

Gerardo Parra homered and rookie Matt Clark’s sacrifice fly tied it against Trevor Rosenthal in the ninth. The Cardinals were blanked on four hits over the last 11 innings after jumping on Wily Peralta for two quick runs in the first.

Lance Lynn worked seven strong innings for St. Louis before Rosenthal was saddled with his sixth blown save in 50 chances.

“Not bad. One pitch, a solo homer,” Lynn said. “But as long as it’s a solo it usually doesn’t hurt you.”

Siegrist (1-4) was the Cardinals’ sixth pitcher and has a 6.30 ERA after giving up a run on one hit in the 12th. The lefty was nearly untouchable as a rookie for the National League champions last year, posting a 0.45 ERA.

Manager Mike Matheny said a lack of offense was “part of the story.”

“I’d say we gave some free bases, too,” Matheny added. “That’s the rest of the story.”

The Cardinals opened the first with three straight singles and Adams walked on a full count for an RBI, the last two pitches high and well out of the strike zone. A second run scored on a double-play ball by Jhonny Peralta, 2 for 15 with the bases loaded.

“You never want a bases-loaded double play,” Matheny said. “A pitcher like him having the season he’s having, he’s not going to give up too much.”

Peralta also went seven innings and gave up just two hits in the last six, finishing the year 3-1 with a 2.18 ERA against St. Louis.

The Brewers dropped three of four at home to St. Louis last week and are 7-10 overall against the Cardinals.

“We’re playing like it’s the playoffs right now and I think that’s what we need,” Carlos Gomez said. “Nobody told us it was going to be easy. We have to fight for it.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is scheduled to throw in the bullpen Wednesday. He missed his last turn due to ineffectiveness coming off the disabled list from a shoulder injury.

BIG CROWD

Paid attendance of 44,529 was the 47th sellout with five home games to go. Although there were hundreds of empty seats, the Cardinals have capitalized on the Ballpark Village development.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Mike Fiers (6-2, 1.84 ERA) makes his first start since hitting Giancarlo Stanton in the face with a pitch last week. Fiers is 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA in five career games against St. Louis, two of them starts.

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright (18-9, 2.56) has won three straight starts, and he beat the Brewers with a complete game his last time out. Wainwright is 11-7 with a 2.43 ERA in his career against Milwaukee, and 2-1 with a 4.22 ERA in three starts this season.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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