Cards Rally Past Brewers To Win Opener

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Ryan Ludwick's RBI single capped a three-run ninth inning against Milwaukee Brewers closer Francisco Cordero in the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-6 victory on Saturday in the first game

Saturday, July 28th 2007, 3:44 pm

By: News On 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Ryan Ludwick's RBI single capped a three-run ninth inning against Milwaukee Brewers closer Francisco Cordero in the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-6 victory on Saturday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Cordero (0-4) has 32 saves in 37 chances, and all five blown saves have come on the road. He has a minuscule 0.33 ERA at home, and an 8.62 ERA on the road. He has a blown save and a loss in his last two appearances, after giving up two runs in 1 1-3 innings on Thursday in Cincinnati.

Russ Springer (5-1) had a strikeout and a walk in the ninth for the Cardinals, who are 2-3 during a seven-game homestand against the two teams they're chasing in the NL Central. St. Louis had lost four in a row to the Brewers by a combined score of 35-5.

Pinch hitter Chris Duncan flared a double just inside the left-field line with one out in the ninth to start the rally and scored on Albert Pujols' single. Scott Rolen's RBI double tied it and he scored easily on Ludwick's hit.

Ryan Braun was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs for the Brewers to back rookie Manny Parra, who pitched six strong innings and hit a two-run double in his first career start.

Juan Encarnacion had three RBI singles for the Cardinals. Manager Tony La Russa was ejected for the first time this season when third base umpire Greg Gibson tossed him for arguing a checked swing strike call that went against pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker in the sixth.

Encarnacion's third RBI single off Carlos Villaneuva in the seventh cut the deficit to 6-4.

Parra, who threw a perfect game for Triple-A Nashville in June and began the year at Double-A Huntsville, allowed three runs _ one earned _ and six hits. His two-out two-run double off the base of the right-field wall in the third off Brad Thompson was his first career hit and put Milwaukee ahead 6-0.

Braun hit his 18th homer in the first and adding a two-run single in the second. He's 12-for-24 with three homers and seven RBIs in the first six games of a nine-game trip.

Thompson left after walking Craig Counsell and Braun to start the fourth, his quickest exit of 13 starts this year. He gave up six runs _ four earned _ and seven hits with four walks and is 0-1 in four starts this month.

Notes: Before the game, the Cardinals recalled RHP Brian Falkenborg from Triple-A Memphis and optioned RHP Kelvin Jimenez to Memphis. Falkenborg allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. ... The Cardinals are 23-25 at home after going 49-31 in the first year at new Busch Stadium. ... Paid attendance of 45,089 kept the Cardinals' sellout streak alive at 128 consecutive games at new Busch, but there were 12,283 no-shows.