Rolen heats up, lifts Cards

The third baseman belted a game-winning home run in a 3-2 victory over Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE -- Scott Rolen could see it coming.

Rolen had three hits and three RBIs, including a tiebreaking home run in the top of the ninth inning, to lead the Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

Rolen, a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, hit his second homer of the season on the second pitch he saw from reliever Mike Adams (0-1).

"I always pay attention to a guy who's a serious player," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "[Saturday] he said he started seeing the ball better."

St. Louis starter Jason Marquis (2-0) retired the final 18 batters he faced. He allowed three hits and one earned run to go with five strikeouts in eight innings, and the Cardinals swept the Brewers in Milwaukee for the first time since Sept. 9-11, 2002.

"Once I started getting confidence in my mechanics in the third inning is when it turned," Marquis said.

Jason Isringhausen got the last three outs for his fifth save in as many chances, and giving La Russa his 800th win with the Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals' center fielder Jim Edmonds makes a over the shoulder catch against Milwaukee Brewers' Lyle Overbay during the third inning.

"We're really not swinging the bats right now," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "We couldn't muster any offense. We're not finding any holes and not picking up any hits. We're not producing runs right now."

Trailing 2-0, St. Louis scored its first run in the fourth. Pujols got the Cardinals' first hit of the game with a sharp grounder that bounced off the glove of third baseman Russell Branyan. Pujols took second on a wild pitch and scored on Rolen's single to left.

St. Louis tied the score in the sixth on a strange play. After Pujols hit an infield single with two outs, Rolen hit a bloop double to center field.

Clark charged and dove for the ball but it trickled away from him. He fumbled the ball as he was trying to pick it up, but Pujols was held at third base by coach Jose Oquendo. Pujols came on to score, however, when first baseman Lyle Overbay misplayed Clark's throw to the plate.

"I think Lyle glanced and saw [Oquendo] holding him up," Yost said. "That's a big run we gave them in that situation. When you're not scoring runs you can't give them runs."

Milwaukee starter Victor Santos pitched a career-high eight innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead when Brady Clark led off the first with his second home run of the season. The ball hit the top of the wall in left field and bounced over.

The Brewers added another run in the second as Damian Miller led off with a double and scored when J.J. Hardy's grounder was misplayed by Pujols at first base.

Overbay, who drew two walks off of Marquis, said the pitcher had his slider going.

"You locate that slider well and it's a tough pitch to hit consistently," Overbay said. "Then you've got that 93 mph sinker that he can run in on right-handers and away from lefties."

Noteworthy

* Clark's leadoff homer was Milwaukee's first of the season. The last time the Brewers hit a leadoff homer was July 23, 2004.

* The eight innings pitched by Santos was also a season-high for Milwaukee.

* The Cardinals are 4-1 on the road and have won their last five games at Miller Park.

* Milwaukee has lost four of its last five games.