R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lance Lynn held the Milwaukee Brewers in check for seven innings. The St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup was stopped cold after the first three hitters.
Manager Mike Matheny agreed that lack of offense was “part of the story” after a 3-2, 12-inning loss Tuesday night that sliced St. Louis’ NL Central lead to 2 1/2 games with 11 to go.
He blamed lefty Kevin Siegrist, too, for allowing Carlos Gomez to run wild.
“I’d say we gave some free bases, too,” Matheny said. “That’s the rest of the story.”
Gomez walked against Siegrist (1-4) with one out, stole second and third and scored the go-ahead run on a bloop hit by rookie Hector Gomez as the Brewers ended the Cardinals’ three-game winning streak.
Carlos said several times he was running on Siegrist, not All-Star catcher Yadier Molina.
Lynn worked seven strong innings, hurt only by Gerardo Parra’s homer in the fourth despite what he said was shaky control.
“As the game went on I got a little better,” Lynn said. “It was one of those things where you just have to get through it when you don’t have your best command, and I was able to do it.”
Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal gave up a tying sacrifice fly to rookie Matt Clark with the bases loaded in the ninth and was saddled with his sixth blown save in 50 chances. Rosenthal also was hurt by a walk to Jonathan Lucroy leading off the ninth.
“I thought the last couple times out he’s looked much better,” Matheny said. “He makes it look sometimes a whole lot easier than what it is.”
Siegrist was the Cardinals’ sixth pitcher and has a 6.30 ERA after giving up a run on one hit in the 12th. The lefty was nearly untouchable as a rookie for the National League champions last year, posting a 0.45 ERA.
Brandon Kintzler (3-3) got the last out in the 11th and Francisco Rodriguez closed for his 42nd save in 47 chances. The third-place Brewers have won five of six and are four games back of St. Louis, which has a 2 1/2-game lead on Pittsburgh with 11 to go.
Hector Gomez earned his first career RBI on a ball that dropped just out of the reach of first baseman Matt Adams in shallow right field. Hector Gomez scored tying run as a pinch runner in the ninth.
The Cardinals were blanked on four hits over the last 11 innings after jumping on Wily Peralta for two quick runs in the first.
St. Louis opened the first with three straight singles and Adams walked on a full count for an RBI, the last two pitches high and well out of the strike zone. A second run scored on a double-play ball by Jhonny Peralta, 2 for 15 with the bases loaded.
“You never want a bases-loaded double play,” Matheny said. “A pitcher like him having the season like he’s having, he’s not going to give up too much.”
Wily Peralta also went seven innings and gave up just two hits in the last six, finishing the year 3-1 with a 2.18 ERA against St. Louis.
The Brewers dropped three of four at home to St. Louis last week and are 7-10 overall against the Cardinals.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is scheduled to throw in the bullpen Wednesday. He missed his last turn due to ineffectiveness coming off the disabled list from a shoulder injury.
BIG CROWD
Paid attendance of 44,529 was the 47th sellout with five home games to go. Although there were hundreds of empty seats, the Cardinals have capitalized on the Ballpark Village development.
UP NEXT
Brewers: Mike Fiers (6-2, 1.84 ERA) makes his first start since hitting Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton in the face with a pitch last week. Fiers is 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA in five career games against St. Louis, two of them starts.
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright (18-9, 2.56) has won three straight starts, and he beat the Brewers with a complete game his last time out. Wainwright is 11-7 with a 2.43 ERA in his career against Milwaukee, and 2-1 with a 4.22 ERA in three starts this season.
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