Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Hall homers in 10th to lift Brewers over Cardinals

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Bill Hall figured something good had just happened because he didn't feel a sting when he connected in the 10th inning.

The ball Hall hit off Ryan Franklin sailed over the fence and helped the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 Monday night after squandering a ninth-inning lead.

``When you hit home runs, you don't really feel the ball at all,'' Hall said. ``As soon as I hit it, I knew it hit the good part of the bat. When you see the trajectory of the ball, you knew it had a good chance of getting out.''

Milwaukee is 4-0 on its seven-game trip and a National League best 35-19 since May 20. The win moved the Brewers percentage points ahead of St. Louis for second place in the NL Central behind Chicago.

``From the looks of it, it's us, the Cardinals and the Cubs who will be battling for the division,'' Hall said. ``Every win is important in this division.''

Brewers' manager Ned Yost said taking the first game of the four-game set was particularly important.

``It's always good to get off to a good start especially against a tough team like St. Louis,'' he said. ``To take the first game of a series is always big in my mind.''

Hall's home run helped make a winner out of Solomon Torres (5-2), who gave up the tying run in the ninth. Torres also pitched the 10th.

Torres was grateful for the chance to pitch another inning.

``I was glad I was given a second chance to go out there,'' he said. ``The guys picked me up right away. We scored a couple of runs and it was business as usual. ... It's not going to show on the record, but let me have a mulligan and let me save it for a second time.''

The Brewers scored twice more in the 10th off Franklin (3-3) on a throwing error by second baseman Aaron Miles and an RBI single by J.J. Hardy. Franklin allowed three runs — two earned — on four hits in 1 1-3 innings.

``There's no excuses,'' Franklin said. ``I should have done the job, and I didn't.''

Hardy went 4-for-6. Rickie Weeks provided the rest of the Brewers' offense with a three-run home run.

Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus drove in two runs with a first-inning double off Seth McClung that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Trailing 3-2 entering the ninth, Yadier Molina led off with a ground-rule double over the wall in right-center. Pinch-hitter Jason LaRue moved pinch-runner Brendan Ryan over to third with an infield single, and Ryan scored on Skip Schumaker's sacrifice fly to left. Torres retired Albert Pujols on a fly out to center with two men on to end the threat.

``We had a shot,'' St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. ``We had the right guy up there to win the game. (He) just got under it a little bit.''

Torres said he should have approached the situation with Molina differently.

``One mistake to Molina,'' he said. ``I should have known better. I should have attacked, keep the ball down.''

After spotting the Cardinals' a 2-0 lead, Weeks gave McClung and the Brewers the lead in the fifth.

With one out, Jason Kendall doubled down the right-field line and McClung followed with a single to center. Weeks then hit St. Louis starter Joel Pineiro's next pitch 431 feet into the third deck in left field for his eighth home run and a 3-2 Milwaukee lead.

Weeks' home run was one of 10 hits allowed by Pineiro in six innings. He also walked one while striking out two.

Notes: Brewers reliever Eric Gagne, who prior to Monday had a 9.00 ERA in four appearances since returning from the disabled list June 30, pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts in his first action since July 12. ... Milwaukee has homered in a season-high 17 straight games; the team record is 19 straight set from June 11-30, 1996. ... Ray Durham, acquired from San Francisco yesterday, saw his first action as a Brewer when he pinch-hit for Gagne in the eighth. With runners at second and third and one out, Durham grounded into a 5-2 fielder's choice. ... Russ Springer, who pitched a scoreless seventh, has allowed just two earned runs over his last 34 outings (25 2-3 innings, 0.70 ERA). ... Glaus is hitting .525 (21-for-40) during his 10-game hitting streak.

Milwaukee Brewers' Bill Hall, left, and Rickie Weeks celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 in a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2008, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)