Next Game: Sunday, May 11 vs. St. Louis
Brewers Gameday with the Jockey Pregame Show at 12:30 p.m. on 620WTMJ

Postgame Audio
• Ned Yost
• Eric Gagne

On a day when the Cardinals demoted struggling closer Jason Isringhausen for six blown saves, Ned Yost might need to consider the same maneuver.  It was not a save opportunity but closer Eric Gagne did come on in the 9th with the game tied at three and he failed to keep it that way as the Brewers lost to St. Louis 5-3 at Miller Park.

Click here to hear what Yost had to say about the loss.

Gagne gave up two singles to Brendan Ryan and Skip Schumaker to start the inning.  Gagne looked like he was going to get himself out of the mess he started.  He got Aaron Miles to ground out and after Albert Pujols intentionally walked, Gagne got Rick Ankiel to foul out.  History repeated itself again where Gagne could not come up with the pitch to fully escape the jam.  Gagne got a two-two count on Ryan Ludwick but his fifth offering found Ludwick's bat which landed in left to deliver the game-winning hit.

Click here to hear what Gagne said about his outing.

The Brewers bats continued to be baffled and this time it was Joel Pineiro who silenced the Crew bats.  Pineiro pitched six innings of shutout ball before the Brewers were finally able to even touch him.  Pineiro pitched 6.1 innings gave up two earned runs, four hits, and struck out four.  The Brewers only managed two hits on Pineiro before the 7th inning.

With little support, Ben Sheets did all he could to keep the Crew in the game.  As dominate as he has pitched this season, he is human after all.  Sheets pitched seven innings, gave up three earned runs, nine hits, and struck out six.

The Cardinals first got to Sheets in the 3rd inning after Ryan drove in Yadier Molina with a double.  The Cardinals added two more when Chris Duncan smashed a two-run homer in the fourth.  Sheets kept the Cardinals bats at bay for the rest of his day.

The Crew finally broke through on the scoreboard when Corey Hart led off the seventh with a single.  J.J. Hardy drew a walk and Tony Gwynn hit a pinch hit single to load the bases.  Jason Kendall's patience at the plate drew a RBI walk off reliever Kyle McClellan.  Mike Cameron would pull the same trick as he drew the free pass that scored Gwynn and left the Crew down 3-2.

The Brewers again failed to capitalize on a great chance to take the lead.  It did not look good in the process.  What did look good was Prince Fielder's lead off bomb to right to tie the game in the 8th.  The Brewers would load the bases once again with Bill Hall at third, Hardy at second, and pinch hitter Joe Dillon on first.  Ned Yost called for the suicide squeeze but somehow that message failed to get to the guy that needed to know that the most: Kendall.  On the very first pitch to Kendall, Hall broke for home but Kendall made no attempt to bunt or even make contact.  Hall was caught in a run down and was thrown out.  Kendall killed the inning as grounded out to short.

Ryan Braun was about the only bright spot for the Brewers lineup as he went 3-5 with a double and two singles.

Reliever Russ Springer (1-0) picked up his first win of the season while Gagne (1-2) took the loss.  The Cardinals possible new closer, Ryan Franklin got his second save.  The Brewers record now stands at 17-19 while the Cardinals go to 22-15.  Righty Jeff Suppan (1-2, 5.22 ERA) gets the ball tomorrow for the Brewers in game three of the four game set.  The Cardinals will counter with righty Adam Wainwright (3-1, 2.25).