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Ludwick lifts Cardinals over Brewers

May 11, 2008 - 12:13 AM By David Cotey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- Ryan Ludwick's kept the St. Louis Cardinals from their second straight late-inning collapse.

Ludwick's two-run single in the top of the ninth inning off Eric Gagne gave St. Louis a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday at Miller Park.

The Cardinals, who snapped a three-game losing streak, blew a 3-0 lead Friday against the Brewers and lost, 4-3, on Rickie Weeks' walk-off two-run single.

"Any time you come back the next day after they get you, to have some clutch hitting like that, it's a big high," Ludwick said.

Gagne (1-2) gave up back-to-back singles to Brendan Ryan and Skip Schumaker to lead off the ninth. After a groundout and an intentional walk to Albert Pujols to load the bases, Rick Ankiel fouled out before Ludwick delivered a two-run hit to left field to snap a 3-3 tie.

"I love that situation," Ludwick said. "I've been blessed with that opportunity a lot since I've been here and I've been fortunate enough to come through in a lot of those situations. That's what baseball is all about, being in that moment. I feel more relaxed in that situation than any other, actually."

Ryan Franklin, who has assumed part-time closer duties with Jason Isringhausen receiving a temporary break from the role, gave up one hit in the ninth for his second save.

"I just treat it like the eighth inning," Franklin said. "I just have to get three outs. It doesn't matter to me what inning (manager Tony La Russa) puts me out there.

"Hopefully, we can handle the ninth inning until (Isringhausen) is back. He just needs to work through a few things and he'll be back before we know it."

La Russa was non-committal to Franklin as the closer, saying he will call on various relievers depending on late-inning matchups.

"We're going to play the game as it goes," La Russa said. "No matter what inning he pitches, he's got the weapons to get the outs."

Meanwhile, Gagne, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal in the offseason, continues to struggle. He has a 6.89 ERA in 17 appearances this season, including five blown saves.

"I'll keep going out there and keep fighting, but it's embarrassing," Gagne said. "It's not discouraging, it's just embarrassing. I know what I'm supposed to do, I know what I'm capable of doing and I'm not doing it. I've got to get people out and I'm not doing it. I don't deserve the ninth inning right now."

Brewers manager Ned Yost did not follow La Russa's lead and remained committed to Gagne - at least for the time being.

"Gagne's my closer right now, but I don't make decisions after a tough ballgame," Yost said. "I take a long time to analyze things."

Prince Fielder's home run off reliever Ron Villone to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning tied the score at 3-3.

The Cardinals dodged a major bullet later in the eighth. With the bases loaded and one out, Bill Hall took off for home from third base as reliever Russ Springer (1-0) delivered a pitch to Jason Kendall.

Kendall, however, did not swing or bunt and Hall was caught in a rundown. Kendall then grounded out to end the inning.

"I missed a sign," Kendall said. "You can't do that. It's unacceptable. I cost us the game. Tomorrow's a new day, but I screwed up."

Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro cruised through six innings, at one point retiring 10 straight batters before loading the bases with one out the seventh inning. Reliever Kyle McClellan replaced him and forced in two runs with bases-loaded walks before getting Ryan Braun - who had three hits - to fly out.

Brewers starter Ben Sheets struck out six and became the franchise leader in the category with 1,086, surpassing Teddy Higuera (1,081), as the Brewers lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Chris Duncan, who entered the game 7-for-12 with a .583 batting average and two home runs lifetime against Sheets, belted a two-run home run in the fourth that gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.