MILWAUKEE (AP) - Jake Westbrook allowed one run over six innings for his 100th career win and the St. Louis Cardinals held off the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 on Thursday night.
Westbrook (2-1), came in with a 0.98 ERA, best in the majors - it increased to 1.10. In his 12th season, he walked three and struck out four. The Brewers were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position against him.
Westbrook allowed Norichika Aoki's double to open the game and then nothing more until one out in the fourth when the Brewers pushed across a run on three consecutive singles. He struck out Alex Gonzalez and then fanned Wily Peralta (2-2), his third strikeout of the inning.
Westbrook left with a 6-1 lead for the relievers to protect, but the Brewers scored twice in the seventh, one in the eighth and one in the ninth.
Edward Mujica pitched the ninth for his seventh save, but allowed Alex Gonzalez's two-out RBI single.
Trailing 6-1, pinch-hitter Logan Schafer greeted Joe Kelly with a single to start the seventh. Schafer advanced on Aoki's ground rule double and scored on Jean Segura' sacrifice fly. After Ryan Braun struck out, Kelly hit Yuniesky Bentancourt. Mitchell Boggs came on, but walked the first two batters he faced to force in a run. Trevor Rosenthal was next and he struck out Martin Maldonado to end the threat.
In the eighth, pinch-hitter Blake Lalli singled and advanced on second baseman Daniel Descalso's fielding error. He bobbled Aoki's grounder trying to start a double play. Segura struck out before Braun's single drove in Lalli. The Cardinals escaped when Rosenthal struck out Bentancourt.
St. Louis came in leading the majors with the best batting average (.330) with runners in scoring position and the top average (.337) with runners in scoring position and two outs.
They lived up to their reputation with six two-out runs in the third as 11 batters faced Peralta.
Allen Craig started the scoring with a bases-loaded, two-run single. Yadier Molina followed and drove in a run. David Freese, showing signs of breaking out of a season-long slump, knocked in a run with his second hit in the game. Then John Jay's single reloaded the bases for Pete Kozma whose single brought in the final two runs.
Westbrook worked out of a potential jam in the sixth.
Rickie Weeks singled and then Westbrook issued a one-out walk to Maldonado. Gonzalez hit a liner right at shortstop Kozma who quickly stepped on second to get Weeks for an unassisted double play.
The Cardinals chased Peralta in the fifth when they loaded the bases on two walks and a single with one out. Alfredo Figaro came on and got Westbrook to hit into a double play.
Peralta, facing the Cardinals for the first time in his career, went 4 1/3 innings, walked two and struck out three.
Notes: The Brewers reinstated INF Jeff Bianchi (left hip) from the 15-day disabled list. OF Khris Davis was optioned Wednesday to Triple-A Nashville to make room for Bianchi. ... After 3B Aramis Ramirez ran the bases before the game, speculation has it he is ready to return. He strained his left knee in the fourth game of the season and missed 22 games. ... Cardinals slumping 3B David Freese was back in the lineup after manager Mike Matheny gave him the previous two games off. Freese' single in the first raised his batting average to .180. ... The Cardinals had three broken-bat singles and two bloop hits in the third. ... Peralta swung so hard in the fourth the bat flew out of hands and landed well beyond third base.