GatewayRedbirds.com

finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Allen Craig hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

The Brewers tied it in the ninth on Norichika Aoki 's two-out, two-run homer off closer Jason Motte . The two-strike drive barely cleared the right-field wall.

Matt Carpenter singled with one out in the St. Louis 10th off Kameron Loe (6-5) and moved up on a wild pitch. Craig singled and Carpenter made a nifty slide to score.

The Cardinals ended a three-game skid and held their slim lead for the second NL wild-card spot.

Milwaukee, which has won 15 of 20, was trying to reach the .500 mark for the first time since April 24.

Lance Lynn (14-7) picked up the win with one inning of scoreless relief.

Matt Holliday hit a two-run homer, his 26th, off Shaun Marcum . One out later, Carlos Beltran hit his 29th home run and first since Aug. 10.

Beltran ended an 0-for-14 slump. He had not gotten an extra-base hit in his previous 49 at-bats.

St. Louis pushed the lead to 4-1 in the second on doubles by pitcher Joe Kelly and Carpenter.

NOTES: Cardinals 3B David Freese missed the game with a mild left ankle sprain. He is considered day-to-day. ... St. Louis reliever Edward Mujica pitched a scoreless seventh inning. He has not allowed a run in 18 appearances since coming to the Cardinals in a July 31 trade. ... Milwaukee 1B Corey Hart left the game in the fifth inning with a left ankle sprain. ... The Cardinals improved 4-10 in extra innings. ... St. Louis opens a seven-game road trip at San Diego on Monday. Jaime Garcia (4-6, 4.16) will face Eric Stults (5-2, 2.35). ... Milwaukee begins a six-game homestand against Atlanta. Wily Peralta (1-0, 5.14) takes on Mike Minor (8-10, 4.58).

Great minds think alike.

I was too depressed about the Cardinals to even tune in to the game today. Glad to hear that they won. They really need Beltran to get better.

Beltran homered. That was good to see.

Beltran ended an 0-for-14 slump. He had not gotten an extra-base hit in his previous 49 at-bats.

Heard that. Yes, it is. The thing that makes one nervous is that if he's simply breaking down there isn't much of a reason to expect he'll hit better. It isn't like he's going to get younger all of a sudden. Hope that today was a sign of things to come.

Yeah, the gonads pull in when its cold, but that happens to every man.