ST. LOUIS, April 11 (UPI) -- Mike DeJean walked Tino Martinez on a full-count pitch to force in the go-ahead run Thursday as the St. Louis Cardinals posted a 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers for the third straight day.
It marks the second straight time St. Louis has swept a three-game series from the Brewers here, also accomplishing the feat last Sept. 17-19.
But the identical one-run losses were especially painful for the Brewers, who blew a 5-0 lead on Wednesday night and rallied from a four-run deficit to tie the game on Thursday.
A three-run homer by Mike Matheny and a solo blast by J.D. Drew helped the Cardinals build a 5-1 lead. But Richie Sexson highlighted a three-run sixth inning with a two-run homer for Milwaukee and Eric Young hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh to tie the game.
The Cardinals scored the winning run after Jose Cabrera retired the first two batters in the eighth. Drew walked and Albert Pujols followed with a double to right center. Brewers manager Davey Lopes opted to intentionally walk Jim Edmonds, who was one for eight in the series, to load the bases and brought in DeJean to face Martinez.
DeJean immediately fell behind in the count, 3-0, and then threw a strike before Martinez hit a long foul ball to right. But with a full count, Martinez laid off a pitch low and outside, forcing in the run. Martinez was just one for 12 in the series.
Cardinals reliever Dave Veres provided some drama in the ninth by walking Geoff Jenkins and Raul Casanova to start the inning. Mark Loretta was not called upon to bunt the runners over and lined out to left.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa then brought in lefthander Steve Kline, who struck out pinch-hitter Jose Hernandez and Young to end the game for his first save.
