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It wasn't a great start, but he'll take the win.

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W: Carlos Villanueva (4-10)
L: Kyle Lohse (6-10)
S: Trevor Hoffman (37)

MVP: Trevor Hoffman (+.209)
LVP: Carlos Villanueva (-.211)

Win Expectancy Graph

Another day, another back and forth game.  The Brewers struck first with Ryan Braun's 2-run first-inning home run.  The blast was his 200th hit of the year. Carlos Villanueva, making a spot start, gave those runs right back in the bottom of the inning.  The Brewers regained the lead in the third thanks to the Cardinals' continuing defensive malaise.  Once again, the Cardinals tied it up in the bottom of the inning.  The game remained 3-3 until the bottom of the fifth, when Brendan Ryan put the Cardinals up with an RBI double, his third hit of the game. The Cardinals loaded the bases in the inning, but Villanueva stuck out Rick Ankiel to end the threat.

Three straight singles sandwiched between strikeouts brought Alcides Escobar up with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.  Once again the listless Cardinals defense cost their starter a potential win as a routine groundout to second base was botched by miscommunication at first base; two runs scored as Julio Lugo's throw went into the dugout. Dave Weathers, Claudio Vargas, Todd Coffey, and Trevor Hoffman combined for four scoreless innings to bring home the victory.

For the second day in a row, the Brewers' least valuable player (by WPA) wound up the winning pitcher. Ryan Braun finished 2-5 with two RBI. Mike Cameron chipped in three hits, raising his season average to .252. Escobar was 0-4 with a walk in his leadoff debut and still wound up missing the MVP title by .002 (yay errors!). Coffey's relief appearance was his 78th of the season (3rd most in team history). It was also the 300th relief appearance of his career. Hoffman recorded career save #591.