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Cards, Brewers cap series at Miller Park

Jul 18, 2012 - 1:29 PM (Sports Network) - Rookie right-hander Tyler Thornburg makes the third appearance - and second start - of his brief big-league career today when the Milwaukee Brewers close out a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park.

A third-round pick of the Brewers in 2010, Thornburg pitched in Single-A ball in both 2010 and 2011, and has split time this year between Double-A and Triple-A while going 9-1 with a 3.04 earned run average in 14 starts.

His debut with Milwaukee came June 19 against Toronto when he went 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs - including four home runs - on seven hits in the team's 10-9 interleague loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

He returned to throw two innings of relief with the Brewers on July 14, allowing a solo home run in a 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh.

He gets the call in place of staff ace Zack Grienke, who's allowed 10 runs in eight innings over his last three starts and is being skipped in the rotation by manager Ron Roenicke.

"We probably put too much on (Greinke), thinking he'd be fine, and he wasn't," Roenicke said.

St. Louis counters with veteran righty Adam Wainwright, who's still trying to regain the success he had in a 20-win season in 2010.

The 30-year-old missed all of 2011 with an injury and has been largely inconsistent in his return, alternating wins and losses in his last eight decisions since late May.

Wainwright was touched for four runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings of his most recent outing, a 5-3 loss at Cincinnati on July 13 that dropped him to 7-9 on the season.

He defeated Colorado, 4-1, on July 4 with six innings of one-run ball while scattering eight hits.

In 22 career meetings with the Brewers, Wainwright is 7-5 with a 2.20 ERA.

On Tuesday, newly-appointed closer Francisco Rodriguez didn't make things easy for himself, but notched his second save of the year, helping Milwaukee take a 3-2 win.

David Freese led off with a double and the Cards had runners on the corners with none out after Yadier Molina singled to center in the ninth.

But Rodriguez worked out of the jam. He induced Matt Carpenter into a groudout to shortstop, struck out Skip Schumaker and got Daniel Descalso to pop up to shortstop to tally the 293rd save of his career.

"That's not usually how Rodriguez starts, but I've seen Frankie get out of stuff like that over the years," Roenicke said.

Rickie Weeks smacked a long solo homer, while Randy Wolf (3-6) fanned six and allowed two runs on eight hits and one walk in 6 2/3 innings.

Ryan Braun exited the contest in the seventh inning with a right adductor strain.

Joe Kelly (1-2) surrendered three runs - two earned - on six hits and a walk for the Cardinals, who have dropped four of their last five games.

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday left the game after being hit by a Wolf fastball above his left knee in the first inning. His 15-game hitting streak will stay intact because his only plate appearance was not an official at-bat.

"It got him around the knees, he just couldn't run," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

St. Louis won two of three games from the Brewers in an April series in Milwaukee, then won two of another three when the teams played at Busch Stadium later in the month.

Milwaukee last won the season series in 2010, 8-7.