By R.b. Fallstrom, Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — Kyle Lohse threw six scoreless innings on eight days’ rest and the St. Louis Cardinals got home runs from Jon Jay and Matt Holliday in the third inning, slicing just a bit into the Milwaukee Brewers’ formidable NL Central lead with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday night.

Lohse (13-8), who leads the Cardinals in victories, gave up four hits, struck out six and walked three. He was pushed back two days behind Chris Carpenter and Jake Westbrook after giving up four runs in five innings in a win against Pittsburgh in his last start.

Yovanni Gallardo (15-10) gave up three runs in six innings, and has allowed six home runs in 10 2-3 innings over his last two starts, both losses to the Cardinals. He gave up only three his previous seven starts combined.

Gallardo dropped to 1-7 with a 5.66 ERA for his career against the Cardinals, the lone victory on May 7 in St. Louis when he took a no-hitter into the eighth of a 4-0 victory.

Nyger Morgan had three hits and Jonathan Lucroy had an RBI double in the eighth for the Brewers, who lead the Central by 9½ games with 19 to play after their four-game winning streak was snapped. Corey Hart extended his hitting streak to 18 games for Milwaukee, which is a major-league best 40-16 since July 6 — with six of the losses against the Cardinals.

Jason Motte allowed three hits and Prince Fielder’s RBI single in the ninth before earning his third save in six chances in a September shot at closing. The run ended a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless appearances for Motte, and also was the first earned run he allowed in 34 appearances since June 24. Fernando Salas, who has 23 saves in 28 chances, got the first two outs in the seventh.

Lance Berkman, who struck out three times against Gallardo the last meeting, gave the Cardinals the lead with an RBI in the first. Jay hit his 10th homer with one out in the third and Holliday hit his 22nd just inside the right-field foul pole with two outs.

The Cardinals had three straight singles off Kameron Loe with one out the seventh with Jay getting the RBI before Albert Pujols hit into his major-league leading 26th double play. The Cardinals lead the majors with 151 — 15 shy of the major league record held by the 1958 Cardinals.

NOTES: Zack Greinke (14-5) opposes Chris Carpenter (8-9) in the finale of a three-game series. Carpenter is 5-6 with a 5.05 ERA in 14 career starts against Milwaukee and is 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA in three starts this year. … Pujols has one more double play ball than Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez. Holliday and Yadier Molina are in a three-way tie for second in the NL along with Atlanta’s Alex Gonzalez. … Lohse beat the Brewers for the first time in four decisions at home. … Hart doubled to lead off the game and singled to start the ninth and is batting .359 (28-for-78) with five homers and nine RBIs.

(Sports Network) – The Pittsburgh Pirates try to strengthen their lead atop
the National League Central this evening when they open a three-game series
against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.

The unlikeliest of all the division leaders, Pittsburgh enters tonight’s tilt
a percentage point ahead of Milwaukee and holds a one-game edge on the
Cardinals, who have finished ahead of the Pirates every year since 1999.

“I am so encouraged by what our guys are bringing,” Pirates manager Clint
Hurdle said. “I have challenged them to score one more run than the other
team, and they have taken me up on my word.”

Pittsburgh, which of course has endured 18 straight losing seasons, has done
most of its damage against the NL Central, as it is 24-14 against the division
and has won 15 of its last 20.

The Pirates, though, were denied a series sweep over the Cincinnati Reds on
Wednesday, falling 3-1. Andrew McCutchen knocked in the Pirates’ lone run with
an RBI double in just the club’s third loss in nine games overall.

Karstens (8-5) absorbed the loss after giving up three runs — one earned –
on seven hits over seven frames.

Starting pitching has been a big part of the Bucs’ success this season. Their
3.34 ERA is the sixth best in the league and tops in the Central, against whom
Pirates starters have pitched to a 2.97 ERA this season.

An even bigger part of their turnaround takes the hill tonight, as left-hander
Paul Maholm tries to win his third straight decision. Maholm did not get a
decision on Saturday in Houston and gave up three runs and nine hits in five
innings of a 6-4 loss. He is 6-9 on the year with a 3.06 ERA.

Maholm, who is 4-4 lifetime against the Cardinals, has been unbeatable at home
of late, going 4-0 with an 0.84 ERA over his last five starts in the Steel
City.

St. Louis, meanwhile, will counter with its ace in righty Chris Carpenter, who
has owned the Pirates over the course of his career, posting an 11-2 mark to
go along with a 2.09 ERA in 16 starts.

Carpenter won his fourth straight decision on Saturday in Cincinnati, as he
held the Reds to a run and seven hits over eight innings. He also struck out
seven and improved to 5-7 in the year, while lowering his ERA to 3.69.

The Cardinals avoided a sweep in New York on Thursday, as Albert Pujols
clubbed a two-run homer and Jake Westbrook tossed eight solid innings to help
St. Louis to a 6-2 victory over the Mets at Citi Field.

Westbrook (8-4) allowed two runs on four hits with one walk for the Cardinals,
who snapped their losing streak at three games.

“Jake worked fast and obviously he made some good pitches today,” Pujols said.

In his last eight games, Pujols has registered nine hits, six runs, four
homers and 10 RBI. That is trend that continue this weekend, as the three-time
NL MVP’s 26 homers and 77 RBI at PNC are his most at any visiting ballpark.

The Pirates took two of three from the Cardinals earlier in the year.

The Sports Network

(Sports Network) – Third-year southpaw Jaime Garcia inherits the role of
stopper for the St. Louis Cardinals tonight when the National League Central
Division leaders host the Chicago Cubs in the first of three weekend games at
Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals enter the series with a two-game lead over Milwaukee in the
division, but lost the final two games and three of four overall in a midweek
series against San Francisco.

On Thursday in St. Louis, Aubrey Huff recorded his first career three-home run
game and posted six RBI as the Giants outslugged the Cardinals, 12-7.

Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs for the
Cardinals, who have dropped four of six overall.

In his major-league debut, Lance Lynn (0-1) was tagged for four hits and five
runs over 5 1/3 frames. He fanned five and did not walk a batter.

Meanwhile, the Cubs have endured recent struggles of their own, dropping three
straight in a home series with the Houston Astros.

The sweep allowed Houston to pull with 1 1/2 games of Chicago in the battle to
escape the Central basement.

On Wednesday in Chicago, Michael Bourn’s two-run single in the seventh inning
proved to be the difference, as the Astros earned a 3-1 win.

Kosuke Fukudome had a homer to account for the only offense for the Cubs, who
have lost five of six.

Doug Davis (0-4) allowed eight hits and three runs with five strikeouts over 6
1/3 innings. The veteran lefty did not issue a walk.

Garcia, a 24-year-old Mexican export, defeated the Cubs, 9-1, on May 12 to
both improve to 5-0 on the season and level his career mark against Chicago at
1-1.

He’s winless in three starts since, however, including a 15-4 rout in Colorado
on May 28 in which he was raked for 11 hits and 12 runs in just 3 1/3 innings.

The blowout lifted his season earned run average from 1.93 to 3.28.

A 13-game winner last season in his first extended major-league stint, Garcia
is 3-0 at home in 2011 and has allowed just one earned run in 31 innings.

The Cubs go with veteran righty Ryan Dempster, who’s won three straight
decisions since opening the year at 1-4.

Chicago has won each of his last four starts while the 34-year-old has
surrendered 10 runs on 25 hits across 24 innings.

He’s made 44 career appearances against the Cardinals as a reliever and
starter, going 7-7 with 15 saves and a 4.43 ERA in 140 1/3 innings.

The Cubs are 7-5 this season in games he’s started.

The Sports Network

By Hilary Lee

– Contributing Editor

Follow , and

Like SB Nation Chicago on Facebook.

Jun 3, 2011 – After being swept by one of the worst teams in the Central Division, the Chicago Cubs will leave Wrigley Field to take on the St. Louis Cardinals on the road. The Cubs enter the series having lost several pieces of their lineup in the last few days, including Alfonso Soriano. Now, after losing six of their last eight, the Cubs hope Ryan Dempster can get them back on track with a win on Friday.

Dempster, who had a rough beginning to the 2011 season, has been steadily improving. He’s currently 4-4 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. He’s coming off of a start against Pittsburgh where he pitched six innings and gave up only two runs on four hits, while striking out five. In his career against St. Louis, Dempster is 7-7 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. Albert Pujols holds a .319 average against Dempster with six home runs and two doubles.

Pitching for the Cardinals will be Jaime Garcia. Garcia has generally been solid on the year, at 5-1 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, however, he is coming off of a terrible start at Colorado. In that start he pitched just 3.1 innings while giving up 12 runs (11 earned). In his first start against the Cubs this season, he threw 7.0 innings, giving up just one run on nine hits. In that game, Jeff Baker was 3-for-3 against Garcia.

The weather in St. Louis is forecast to be sunny and hot, with a game time temperature in the low-90s. First pitch is at 7:15 P.M., CDT, and the game will be televised on WGN, MLBN, and FS-M.

Read More: Jeff Baker (3B – CHC), Alfonso Soriano (LF – CHC), Ryan Dempster (P – CHC), Albert Pujols (1B – STL), Jaime Garcia (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs