Ludwick's 2-run single in 9th lifts Cards past Brewers 5-3

Milwaukee Brewers' Rickie Weeks hits the game-winning two-run single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Friday, May 9, 2008, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MILWAUKEE—Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning, and St. Louis' shaky bullpen held on Saturday for a 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that snapped the Cardinals' season-long three-game skid.

Prince Fielder hit a tying homer in the eighth for Milwaukee, and Ben Sheets set a franchise record for strikeouts with 1,086. Still, the slumping Brewers lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Eric Gagne (1-2) gave up consecutive singles to start the ninth. After Aaron Miles hit a 15-foot grounder that advanced the runners, Gagne intentionally walked Albert Pujols to load the bases with one out for Rick Ankiel, who fouled out. Ludwick grounded a single just past shortstop J.J. Hardy to give St. Louis a 5-3 lead.

Ryan Franklin, who took over the closer's role Saturday from struggling Jason Isringhausen, got three outs for his third career save and second this year.

Chris Duncan hit a two-run homer for St. Louis.

The Brewers rallied from a 3-0 deficit for the second consecutive game. They scored two runs in the seventh on two walks by reliever Kyle McClellan and another in the eighth on Fielder's first homer in 42 at-bats. But Milwaukee ran itself out of a potential big inning in the eighth.

Russ Springer (1-0) relieved left-hander Ron Villone following Fielder's homer. Springer walked two and allowed an infield single to load the bases with one out.

On Springer's first pitch to Jason Kendall, Bill Hall broke from third, appearing to believe the squeeze was on. Hall was tagged out in a rundown, leaving runners on second and third with two outs. Kendall grounded out to end the inning.

Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro was superb through six innings, allowing just two hits to Ryan Braun before falling apart in the seventh. After Pineiro left with the bases loaded and one out, McClellan walked in Milwaukee's first two runs to make it 3-2.

The Cardinals built a 3-0 lead on an RBI groundout by Skip Schumaker in the third and Duncan's homer off Sheets in the fourth.

Sheets struck out six in seven innings. He fanned Pujols on an 0-2 breaking ball in the first to reach 1,082 strikeouts, breaking Teddy Higuera's club mark. Higuera pitched for Milwaukee from 1985-91 and 1993-94.