Cardinals blow 4-1 lead, lose to Brewers

MILWAUKEE -- Keith Osik hit a solo homer and two-run double in Milwaukee's seven-run seventh inning as the Brewers rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 Monday night.

Osik led off the seventh with his first homer since Aug. 21 and capped the club's biggest inning this season with a two-run double down the third-base line.

He equaled career highs with three hits and four RBIs.

After surrendering Osik's homer, Cal Eldred (3-2), who gave up four runs in one-third of an inning, loaded the bases by allowing two singles and walking Eric Young -- who was attempting a sacrifice bunt -- on four pitches.

Steve Kline replaced Eldred, and Scott Podsednik hit a bad-hop, two-run single off second baseman Miguel Cairo's glove to give the Brewers their first lead at 5-4.

Kline walked John Vander Wal with the bases full and Wes Helms drove in another run with a fielder's choice to make it 7-4. Osik's two-run double bounced over the third-base bag and into the left-field corner.

Curtis Leskanic (3-0) picked up the win with a laborious, 26-pitch scoreless inning of relief in which he walked two batters and struck out one.

The poor performances by Eldred and Kline ruined a stellar one by Cardinals rookie Kiko Calero, who pitched five innings in his first major league start and left with a 4-1 lead.

Calero allowed one run on three hits, walked two and struck out nine. He started in place of Brett Tomko, who pitched in relief Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Tomko will pitch the series finale Thursday at Miller Park.

J.D. Drew and Mike Matheny homered for St. Louis, which has lost five of six and has gone nine games since getting a win from one of its starting pitchers.

Matheny set a career high with four hits, including two doubles, and raised his batting average at Miller Park to .428 (27-for-63) over 18 games.

Wayne Franklin allowed four runs on five hits in five innings, including solo homers by Drew in the second and Matheny in the third. Drew's homer was his ninth. He also had an RBI double in the first.

The Brewers pulled to 3-1 in the fourth when Jenkins doubled and scored on Osik's two-out single.

After Edgar Renteria's RBI double in the fifth made it 4-1, Jenkins made it 4-2 with his 14th homer, off Jeff Fassero, in the sixth.

Scott Rolen missed a start for the second time for St. Louis this season. He was replaced by Eduardo Perez because of a stiff neck and sore shoulders, the result of a collision at home plate and various tumbling defensive plays over the last few days.

Notes: Brewers RHP Todd Ritchie will have season-ending shoulder surgery Tuesday. He was 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA in five starts before fatigue led to a diagnosis of a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. ... Calero is the sixth starting pitcher for the Cardinals, who had 11 starters to the mound by this time last season.