Brewers 5 - 3 Cardinals
Final/10
  for this game

McGehee, Brewers edge Cardinals in extras

Aug 10, 2011 - 5:57 AM

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St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Casey McGehee doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and Milwaukee widened its lead atop the NL Central with a 5-3 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Yuniesky Betancourt tacked on an insurance sacrifice fly for the Brewers, who have won five straight and 12 of their last 13 contests. They are now four games in front of the second-place Cardinals. Corey Hart belted a two-run homer for the winners.

David Freese had two hits and an RBI for the Cardinals, who faltered on a chance to possibly grab the opener of this three-game series. In the ninth, Rafael Furcal singled to center with two outs off LaTroy Hawkins (1-0). Daniel Descalso then hit a bouncer to second base, but Betancourt booted the ball, as Furcal moved into scoring position. Albert Pujols couldn't come through as he flied out to right.

Nyjer Morgan singled leading off the 10th against Octavio Dotel (0-1), and Prince Fielder's base hit to center put runners at the corners with one out. McGehee then double to right and Betancourt's fly ball to center made it a two-run cushion.

John Axford notched his 33rd save of the year by working around a Lance Berkman one-out double.

"I'm just going after hitters a little more right now," Axford said. "I'm trying to keep the walks down. Obviously, defense and offense in front of you, that's going to help."

The Cardinals, who had 11 hits but left 10 men on base, had a four-game winning streak broken.

"When you play the tam that's in front of you you'd like to take advantage of it," Berkman said. "They're in front of us for a reason because they have a great team. They're going to be tough to beat."

Brewers starting pitcher Shaun Marcum allowed eight hits over six innings, while Edwin Jackson gave up six in six frames.

Hart's homer to center in the third gave the Brewers the early lead, but they stranded a runner at third in three straight innings - the third through the fifth. That included a bases-loaded chance in the fifth.

Corey Patterson's single plated Gerald Laird in the fifth, but the Cardinals should have had more that inning. After Furcal hit a ball toward first base, Skip Schumaker appeared to slide around the tag of catcher Jonathan Lucroy, but home plate umpire Angel Hernandez signaled out, much to the dismay of St. Louis manager Tony La Russa.

Lucroy singled in a run in the sixth, but the Cardinals tied the game with RBI base hits from Freese and Laird in the bottom half.

Game Notes

The Brewers had nine hits. Before Monday they had collected 10 or more hits in nine consecutive games...Milwaukee is 7-3 this season against the Cardinals...St. Louis reliever Lance Lynn departed the game in the ninth inning with a pulled muscle in his left side.






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