Kolb saves the day for Brewers

The Milwaukee closer preserved a 6-4 lead over St. Louis to notch his team-record 38th save.

The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE -- Dan Kolb has been one of the few bright spots in yet another disappointing season for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Kolb pitched out of a ninth-inning jam to earn a team-record 38th save, leading the Brewers over the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 Tuesday night to stop Milwaukee's seven-game losing streak.

Kolb broke the previous Brewers' mark of 37 set by Bob Wickman in 1999. St. Louis put two on with one out before Kolb retired Hector Luna and Marlon Anderson on consecutive grounders.

"After the year is over I'll have more time to sit around and think about it," said Kolb, eligible for free agency after the World Series. "Who knows how long it will last if I leave?"

Victor Santos (11-11) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings to win for the second time in 12 starts since July 16. Since beating the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in July, his only previous win was against the Cubs on Aug. 17.

"To me it was more important that we got a win, and stopped a losing streak," he said.

Jason Marquis (14-6) gave up four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in five innings.

"They hit several balls hard," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "He could've had better pitcher's luck on some other pitches."

The Cardinals, who clinched their third NL Central title in five years on Monday, rested five of their eight regular position players.

Dave Krynzel, the Brewers' No. 1 pick in the 2000 amateur draft, hit leadoff and had two singles and a double. He also made a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the third to rob Luna of a home run.

"Making a catch like that is unbelievable to me," he said. "I really get a lot of joy from that."

Milwaukee's 18-45 record since the All-Star break has ensured the Brewers (63-86) of their 12th consecutive losing season and a likely last-place finish in the NL Central.

"The second half has been a big disappointment to all of us, but to finish on a good note would be a lot better than not finishing on a good note," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said.

Milwaukee, which had lost nine of 10, scored in the first and third when Brady Clark singled home Krynzel, and Russell Branyan's sacrifice fly made it 3-0 later in the third.

Santos had his first major league RBI in the fourth, an RBI groundout.

John Mabry homered in the fifth, and Jim Edmonds' sacrifice fly pulled the Cardinals to 4-2 in the sixth. Keith Ginter hit a two-run double in the bottom half.

St. Louis closed to 6-4 on Anderson's homer and a wild pitch by Matt Wise with a runner on third.

Notes: Cardinals RF Larry Walker was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to shin splints. ... Besides Walker and Scott Rolen, who has missed 10 games with a strained upper calf and bruised left shin, the Cardinals' starting lineup didn't include regular OF Reggie Sanders, SS Edgar Renteria and C Mike Matheny. In the ninth inning, Sanders struck out as a pinch hitter and Walker had a pinch-hit single. ... Brewers 1B Lyle Overbay was out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive night, but he pinch-hit in the seventh. He is in a 2-for-26 slump. ... Womack singled in the sixth, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.