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Braun, Brewers clock Cardinals

Jul 25, 2008 - 4:11 AM By Thad Kemlage PA Sports Ticker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Ryan Braun capped a 4-for-4 night with a two-run home run in the ninth inning, giving the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

J.J. Hardy singled with one out, and Braun followed with his 26th homer - a shot to left-center field off Ryan Franklin (3-4), who blew his fifth save.

"To me, hitting a game-winning home run is the best thing in the world, especially against a division rival who you're competing with to get into the postseason," said Braun, who went 9-for-19 in the four-game sweep at Busch Stadium and is a career .481 hitter with six home runs against St. Louis.

The victory was Milwaukee's eighth straight and finishing touch on a franchise-best 7-0 road trip.

"It was a great road trip to go undefeated," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "Great start to a second half. We got clutch hitting and good pitching and played a very tough St. Louis Cardinal club very well."

Eric Gagne (3-2) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth in relief of Ben Sheets, who yielded three runs - two earned - and four hits in seven innings. Salomon Torres struck out the side in the ninth for his 19th save.

The Cardinals had reached Sheets immediately. Skip Schumaker led off the game with a single, stole second with two outs and scored on a base hit by Rick Ankiel.

St. Louis starter Todd Wellemeyer helped his own cause, singling to right field in the fourth. An error on the play by Corey Hart allowed All-Star Ryan Ludwick to score, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Sheets did not give up another hit after Wellemeyer's single, retiring the last 10 batters he faced.

"I felt like I gave them that run in the first inning, but if I pitch them kind of games, then I'm gonna win a lot of games," Sheets said.

"We gave them two runs," Yost said. "Benny did a great job and limited the damage."

Wellemeyer yielded two runs, five hits and five walks in five innings. The righthander is 1-3 with a 7.00 ERA in his last seven starts.