ST. LOUIS (AP) — After setting a team record for the most consecutive innings without scoring a run, the Milwaukee Brewers now have a new streak going -- one they much prefer.
Jonathan Lucroy hit a solo homer in the 10th inning as the Brewers rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 Sunday and avoided a sweep.
The Brewers had been shut out in 32 innings before Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer off reliever Trevor Rosenthal in the eighth that made it 3-2.
Milwaukee tied it with another run in the ninth and then won on Lucroy's shot. Lucroy credited Braun with getting the Brewers on track.
"After he hit that homer, we had a little bit rolling," Lucroy said. "You could feel the tide turn a little bit. I think we were pressing a lot to score some runs. That was a big homer that opened it up for us. It let us relax and play a little better."
Braun's second home run of the season snapped a 39-inning shutout streak for St. Louis pitchers. The Brewers had not scored since the second inning Tuesday against the Cubs and had lost three in a row.
"It's been a scuffle," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "It's been really difficult to get wins thus far. We did a nice job battling back in the eighth and the ninth. That's always a positive."
Milwaukee tied it in the ninth on a leadoff single by Carlos Gomez and an RBI double by Yuniesky Betancourt off Mitchell Boggs. The Cardinals' closer-for-now left without retiring a batter and blew his second save in five chances.
"This was there for us to take," Boggs said. "The bottom line is I had a chance to get the win for us and I didn't get the job done."
After retiring Rickie Weeks on a fly to start the 10th, Fernando Salas (0-2) gave up Lucroy's first home run of the season.
"Any time is a good time for a homer," Lucroy said. "I haven't had a lot of success ofd that guy in the past. It was nice to hit a ball hard off him."
Brandon Kintzler (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and got the first out in the 10th. Burke Badenhop retired pinch-hitter Carlo Beltran on a grounder for the final out and his first save.
Matt Adams had another big day in the loss for St. Louis, as he had a solo home run and a single in four at-bats. Adams has homered in three straight games and has a hit in all five games he has played.
Adams is batting .611 (11-for-18) with three homers and eight RBI.
Matt Holliday had an RBI single and Yadier Molina an RBI double for the other St. Louis runs.
The Cardinals broke through for the game's first two runs against Marco Estrada with four consecutive two-out hits in the third, including an RBI single by Holliday and an RBI double to the gap by Molina. Allen Craig was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Molina's hit.
Adams made it five straight hits when he led off the fourth with a 419-foot homer to center that made it 3-0.
Notes: Molina received his fifth consecutive Gold Glove award before the game. . . . Milwaukee hitters in the cleanup spot are 2 for 30 since Aramis Ramirez went on the disabled list on April 6. Weeks was hitless in four tries from that spot Sunday, completing a 1-for-21 road trip. . . . On Saturday, Adam Wainwright became the first St. Louis pitcher with a shutout in which he struck out at least one batter in every inning since Bob Gibson accomplished the feat on June 17, 1970, at San Diego.
