MILWAUKEE Eric Gagne no longer wants to be called the Brewers' closer. He's pitching his way out of that role, anyway.
The former NL Cy Young Award winner gave up a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning to Ryan Ludwick, and St. Louis held on for a 5-3 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday that snapped a season-long three-game skid.
"I don't deserve that ninth inning right now. It's pretty simple," Gagne said.
The beleaguered reliever was slumped in his locker room chair with his eyes closed for several minutes before putting his hands on his head. After a clubhouse official asked if he wanted to talk, he told reporters he doesn't need a "mental break" like Cardinals counterpart Jason Isringhausen asked for on Friday night.
"I don't need breaks. I need to keep going out there. I need results," said Gagne, who has a major league-leading five blown saves along with Isringhausen. "I get myself in a situation, in a jam, every single time I'm out there. You can't pitch like that."
Prince Fielder hit a tying homer in the eighth for Milwaukee, but the slumping Brewers botched a squeeze play later in the inning and lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Gagne, who signed a one-year deal for $10 million this offseason, has nine saves, but has faltered in back-to-back games, this time in a non-save situation.
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.
"I am never nervous in that situation. I love that situation. I have been blessed with that opportunity a lot since I've been here and have been fortunate to come through in a lot of the situations I've been in," Ludwick said. "I feel like that's what baseball is all about that situation, being in that moment."
Gagne said his struggles have been embarrassing for him.
"Every time we get a little momentum, I come out there and kill that rally," Gagne said. "It's a matter of going out there and executing your pitches not thinking results and I'm thinking results. I'm going out there thinking three outs before I can even get one."
Brewers manager Ned Yost refused to pull Gagne from the closer's role immediately after the game.
"I don't sit here and make decisions five minutes after a tough loss. I'll sit and think," Yost said. "You guys have known me long enough, I take a long time to analyze things and give everybody the benefit of the doubt and try to make the right decision."
Ryan Franklin, who took over the closer's role for the Cardinals on Saturday from Isringhausen, got three outs for his third career save and second this year. Still, Franklin said Isringhausen will return after a short break to refocus.
"He's the closer," Franklin said. "Hopefully, we can handle the ninth inning until he gets back."
Chris Duncan hit a two-run homer and the Cardinals built a 3-0 lead against Brewers ace Ben Sheets, who set a franchise record with 1,086 strikeouts.
But Milwaukee rallied for the second consecutive game. The Brewers 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.
Then Milwaukee cost itself a potential big inning. Russ Springer (1-0) relieved left-hander Ron Villone following Fielder's homer, 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 because the squeeze was on, but Kendall missed the sign. Hall was tagged out in a rundown and Kendall grounded out to end the inning.
"I missed a sign and it's unacceptable," Kendall said. "I cost us the game."
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.
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.
But there was no celebration in the wake of Gagne's performance.
"Closing is an emotional job," Gagne said. "It's a roller coaster. You do good, you're a hero. You do bad, you're a zero."
Reds 7, Mets 1
NEW YORK (AP) Bronson Arroyo (2-4) pitched eight dominant innings to win a matchup of struggling pitchers and Jeff Keppinger had a career-high five hits, lifting the Cincinnati Reds over the New York Mets 7-1 Saturday for a split of their day-night doubleheader.
In the opener, Carlos Beltran hit a bases-loaded triple and drove in five runs to back Johan Santana's first home win for the Mets in a 12-6 victory. Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider hit New York's first back-to-back homers of the season.
Ken Griffey Jr. had two hits and an RBI in the nightcap, a makeup of Friday night's rainout, but remained stalled in his bid to become the sixth player with 600 home runs. He is homerless in 59 at-bats.
The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the second but Arroyo struck out Ramon Castro, and pitcher Mike Pelfrey (2-3) flied out to right fielder Griffey, who made a basket catch on the run.
Giants 8, Phillies 2
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Tim Lincecum (5-1) struck out eight in eight impressive innings to outpitch 45-year-old Jamie Moyer, and the Giants ended a season-worst five-game skid.
Omar Vizquel had three hits and scored a run in a successful return from the disabled list, Randy Winn hit his first home run of the year and Aaron Rowand connected against his former club for the second time in just more than a week.
Ryan Howard hit a leadoff homer on the first pitch from Lincecum in the second to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead, then Rowand tied it with his fourth homer leading off the bottom half. Chris Coste also homered for Philadelphia, a seventh-inning solo shot.
Moyer (2-3) faced a pitcher 22 years his junior for the second straight start. The 23-year-old Lincecum was born on June 7, 1984 eight days after Moyer signed his first contract.
Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 2
CHICAGO (AP) Alfonso Soriano had four hits, including a go-ahead double in a six-run seventh inning, and showed some flair on the bases to help the Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kosuke Fukudome's first homer since opening day capped the seventh-inning rally as the Cubs won their second straight against the team that swept them in the first round of the playoffs last October.
After a strong performance by Diamondbacks' rookie Max Scherzer, the Cubs trailed 2-1 headed into the seventh when they got to Arizona reliever Chad Qualls (0-4).
Pirates 5, Braves 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) Tom Gorzelanny (3-3) shook off Mark Teixeira's two-run homer in the first inning to shut out Atlanta during the rest of his 7 1-3 innings, Jason Bay homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended the Braves' road woes.
Bay doubled and scored on Ronny Paulino's sacrifice fly in the second inning, then followed Jason Michaels' leadoff single with a two-run homer to left-center in the fourth off Chuck James (2-2). Paulino added a two-run double in the sixth and drove in three runs during Pittsburgh's fifth consecutive victory.
Marlins 11, Nationals 0
WASHINGTON (AP) Dan Uggla drove in five runs, Andrew Miller allowed two hits in seven innings and the Florida Marlins won their sixth straight.
The Marlins' winning streak is their longest since they won nine in a row from Aug. 20-29, 2005. Florida (22-14) is eight games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 18, 2005.
Florida chased Mike O'Connor (1-1) making his first start since Sept. 28, 2006 during a seven-run fourth inning highlighted by Uggla's fourth career grand slam.
Indians 12, Blue Jays 0
CLEVELAND (AP) Grady Sizemore homered twice and drove in five runs, Aaron Laffey pitched seven sharp innings and the Cleveland Indians routed Toronto 12-0 Saturday night to hand the Blue Jays their fourth straight loss.
Sizemore had three hits, including a leadoff homer to start a six-run first inning against Dustin McGowan (2-3). Sizemore added a three-run shot in the fifth off Jason Frasor to make it 12-0. Both came on 3-2 pitches and gave Sizemore his second career multihomer game. He has six home runs this year.
Cleveland won for the fourth time in five games and defeated the Blue Jays for the ninth straight time at home. Before the game, Toronto learned star center fielder Vernon Wells is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks with a broken left wrist.
Rays 2, Angels 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Scott Kazmir struck out six in six innings and Tampa Bay handed Joe Saunders his first loss of the season.
One day after James Shields shut out the AL West co-leaders 2-0 on a one-hitter, Kazmir (1-1) held the Angels to a single and two doubles in his second start since missing all of April with a left elbow strain suffered during spring training.
Evan Longoria, who won Friday night's game with a two-run, ninth-inning homer, drove in the only run off Saunders (6-1) when he grounded into a force play with the bases loaded in the first inning.
Saunders, trying to become the AL's first seven-game winner, allowed four hits, struck out three and walked a season-high four in six innings.
Troy Percival pitched the ninth to finish off the three-hitter and earn his eighth save in nine opportunities.
Red Sox 5, Twins 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Boston got an unexpected power surge from the bottom of its lineup to help Daisuke Matsuzaka remain undefeated.
Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie hit back-to-back homers to lead off the seventh inning Crisp's first since Sept. 6 and Lowrie's first of his career and Matsuzaka (6-0) gave up two runs and six hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings for the Red Sox.
Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis also hit solo homers for Boston and Jonathan Papelbon bounced back from two straight blown saves to get his 11th of the season.
Minnesota's Glen Perkins (0-1) gave up three runs and nine hits in six-plus innings in his first big league start.
Yankees 5, Tigers 2
DETROIT (AP) Derek Jeter hit his first homer of the season, Darrell Rasner pitched six-plus innings and the Yankees ended a six-game losing streak to the Tigers.
Rasner (2-0) gave up two runs and four hits, departing after Magglio Ordonez's leadoff single in the seventh.
Three relievers finished, with Joba Chamberlain pitching the eighth and Mariano Rivera the ninth for his 10th save in 10 chances. The Yankees had lost seven of eight against Detroit dating to last season.
Jeremy Bonderman (2-4) lasted just four-plus innings in his shortest start of the year, giving up five runs, six hits and four walks.
