Cardinals 5 - 7 Athletics
Final
  for this game

Lowrie leads A's past Cards

Jul 1, 2013 - 2:07 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Jed Lowrie went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to highlight a 12-hit effort by the Oakland Athletics in their 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at O.co Coliseum.

Josh Donaldson added a solo homer and Yoenis Cespedes went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the A's, who took two of three in the interleague series and have won four of their last five overall.

Tommy Milone (7-7) labored through six innings but still picked up his first win since June 3 after allowing five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and two walks.

"He battled for that win today," Lowrie said of Milone. "He bulldogged through that game. He deserved it."

Matt Carpenter and Carlos Beltran each had three hits with a home run for the Cardinals, who have fallen in six of their last eight games. Allen Craig added a solo homer.

Jake Westbrook (4-3) surrendered 10 hits and six runs over just four frames to take the loss.

"Every once in awhile we have to pick up (our starters) when they aren't as sharp," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

The right-hander was working with a 5-4 lead in the fourth before Lowrie's go- ahead two-run blast cleared the wall in right-center.

After Donaldson took Trevor Rosenthal deep in the seventh, Oakland's bullpen did the rest, as Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook each threw a scoreless inning of relief prior to Grant Balfour tossing a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 19th save in as many chances.

Beltran and Craig hit back-to-back homers in the first after Carpenter led off the game with a double.

The A's got two back in their half on run-scoring hits by Lowrie and Cespedes, but stranded two in the frame.

Carpenter turned on a fastball and hit it just over the scoreboard in right to open the third, and a pair of miscues in the field later in the inning allowed the Cardinals to increase their lead to 5-2. Lowrie let Matt Holliday's two- out grounder dribble through his legs, allowing Beltran to score without a play at the plate after his popup to third was lost in the sun.

With two on in the bottom of the third, Oakland's Brandon Moss crushed one high off the wall in left-center. Seth Smith scored easily on the double, and Cespedes raced home when Carpenter dropped the relay throw from the outfield.

Game Notes

Balfour has converted each of his last 37 save chances, which is the longest active streak in the majors and three short of the Oakland record held by Dennis Eckersley ... The A's had not allowed an unearned run in their previous 19 games ... The Cardinals went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position ... Game time was 2 hours and 35 minutes.






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