Brewers 4, Cardinals 3
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals may have lost more than a game off their National League Central lead Friday night.
After losing its starting pitcher three hitters into the game, St. Louis blew a 3-1 lead and absorbed a 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night at sold-out Busch Stadium.
Left fielder Khris Davis belted his 24th homer of the year to lead off the ninth for Milwaukee (65-89) off Trevor Rosenthal (2-3), the Cardinals' eighth pitcher.
The Brewers started their rally in the sixth on a two-out RBI single by pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy, then evened the score an inning later when second baseman Greg Garcia made a two-out error on a bouncer by pinch-hitter Domingo Santana that plated shortstop Jean Segura from second.
Reliever Will Smith (7-2) worked out of a two-on, none-out jam in the eighth to earn the win, and closer Francisco Rodriguez pitched around Garcia's leadoff single in the ninth for his 36th save, fanning pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk and third baseman Matt Carpenter with the tying run at second.
St. Louis (97-57) saw its five-game winning streak end and also watched its division lead over second-place Pittsburgh, a 3-2 winner at the Chicago Cubs, dip to three games.
The night started on an ominous note for St. Louis when starter Carlos Martinez left after seven pitches with right shoulder tightness. Martinez left the mound with his glove hand covering his face.
Carpenter gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI single that scored catcher Tony Cruz.
Reliever Tyler Lyons uncorked a wild pitch in the fourth to plate center fielder Logan Schafer with Milwaukee's first run, but St. Louis regained the lead in its half of the fourth.
Left fielder Stephen Piscotty delivered a run-scoring single that plated right fielder Jason Heyward, and Pena drove in shortstop Jhonny Peralta with a sacrifice fly to shallow center.
NOTES: St. Louis gave 2B Kolten Wong the night off, with INF Greg Garcia starting in his place. Wong is locked in a 2-for-20 skid that's lowered his average to .262. ... Milwaukee RF Ryan Braun (lower back tightness) missed his seventh straight start. There is no timetable for his return. ... OF Jason Heyward is the second right fielder in Cardinals history with at least 32 doubles and 23 steals in the same year. The other is Pepper Martin, who had 36 and 23 back in 1936.