Cardinals trying to regroup

MILWAUKEE -- As the St. Louis Cardinals prepare to remember a lost teammate, they'd just as soon forget about their last three games.

The Cardinals lost, 4-0, to the Milwaukee Brewers yesterday, leaving them swept and dazed in their first series since the death of relief pitcher Josh Hancock. St. Louis has lost five in a row overall, and spent much of its three-game series in Milwaukee looking lost in the field and crossed up at the plate.

"You've got to fight through it," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "This club's proven it'll fight. That's why I'm confident we're going to improve."

But first, St. Louis must take another tough step in an emotional week. The Cardinals are off today but will travel to Tupelo, Miss., to attend a memorial service for Hancock, killed in a highway wreck early Sunday.

With three consecutive victories over the reigning World Series champions, Milwaukee has won nine of 11 overall and has the best record in baseball at 18-9. Prince Fielder hit a two-run single off Anthony Reyes (0-5) to help the Brewers earn their first home sweep of St. Louis since taking four games in April 2002.

The Brewers won despite getting only three innings from starter Chris Capuano, who took a sharp comebacker off his right calf in the second and pitched one more inning before he was taken out of the game. Brewers manager Ned Yost expects Capuano to make his next start.

Carlos Villanueva (2-0) pitched four scoreless innings in relief for the victory, allowing two hits and walking two. Matt Wise tossed two scoreless innings to complete the five-hitter, Milwaukee's first shutout of the season. The Cardinals were blanked for the third time.