ATLANTA, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Kyle Lohse threw his first shutout in two years Wednesday, limiting Atlanta to two hits and carrying Milwaukee to a 4-0 win over Atlanta.
The Braves fell a game behind St. Louis for the best record in the National League. Atlanta won the season series against the Cardinals 4-3 and thus owns the tiebreak for determining home-field advantage should they meet in the playoffs.
Andrelton Simmons, the first batter Lohse faced, reached base on a bunt single. Lohse then retired 20 men in a row before giving up a single to Evan Gattis in the seventh.
Lohse (11-10) went the distance for the second time this season and this was the 10th complete game and seventh shutout of a career that began in 2001 with Minnesota. He did not walk a batter, struck out five and threw just 89 pitches.
Carlos Gomez opened the scoring with a first-inning home run, Sean Halton contributed a sacrifice fly in the fourth and Norichika Aoki had RBI singles in both the seventh and ninth.
Paul Maholm (10-11) was charged with the loss after giving up three runs on eight hits in seven innings.
