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MILWAUKEE -- Jake Westbrook didnt last long enough to earn the victory on Wednesday, but the light-hitting St. Louis pitcher used his bat to spark a six-run, second-inning outburst that led to a Cardinals win over the Milwaukee win. The Cardinals jumped out to a seven-run lead and then held on for an 8-6 victory. Westbrook, who entered the game hitting only .167 with two RBIs this season, smacked a bases-loaded double into the left-centre field gap that scored two runs, starting an onslaught that propelled the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. "Im happy to be able to contribute in that sense, especially with the bases loaded and nobody out and to put a good swing on the ball," Westbrook said. Westbrook didnt fare as well on the mound, however. He fell one out short of earning this eighth win of the year, giving up four earned runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings. He walked one and struck out one during a 75-pitch outing. In his previous start on Aug. 16, when he threw a career-high 124 pitches, Westbrook gave up six earned runs in 6 2-3 innings. "I still felt like I pitched a lot better than I have been in terms of throwing strikes and getting ahead of guys," Westbrook said. "I actually made some good pitches that they put some good swings on. Getting two quick outs in the fifth and not being able to finish it off is pretty frustrating for me. "The bullpen came in and picked me up and finished it off, and the offence was great." Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig hit towering home runs in the game-changing second inning. Matt Holliday also homered later in the game and Shane Robinson had three hits for the Cardinals, who remain close behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central race. "It was a big win," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Those are the ones youve got to find a way to win, when you put that kind of offensive production up early." After taking a one-run lead in the first inning on a double by Craig, the Cardinals torched Brewers starter Tom Gorzelanny (3-5) in the second. "You make mistakes and you pay for them, especially against good-hitting teams," Gorzelanny said. "I left balls over the middle, (and made) bad pitch selection." Following Matt Carpenters sacrifice fly, Beltran launched a two-run shot that caromed off the centre-field scoreboard. With two out, Craig hit a solo homer to right-centre. "We are happy that we were able to win the series," Beltran said. "That is basically what is important for us right now." The Brewers cut into the lead in the third on a three-run homer by Aramis Ramirez, and then added two runs in the fifth. Juan Francisco broke out of an 0-for-15 slump, during which he struck out 10 times, with a run-scoring single. Sean Halton drove in another run with a hit, cutting the deficit to 7-5 and chasing Westbrook. "(Westbrook) started out pretty good, but for whatever reason they were finding the good part of the bat and finding holes," Matheny said. Kevin Siegrist struck out pinch-hitter Jeff Bianchi with the bases loaded to end the fifth inning. Siegrist (2-1) recorded two outs to notch the victory. Four Cardinals relievers held the Brewers to one run over the final 5 1-3 innings to preserve the win. Hollidays solo home run in the ninth extended the lead to 8-5. Edward Mujica earned his 33rd save in 35 attempts despite giving up a long solo home run to Logan Schafer with one out in the ninth. Gorzelanny surrendered seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2-3 innings. He walked one and struck out five. "He didnt command the ball that well early and then they also hit some pretty good pitches. We know they are a good hitting club, and when you dont hit your spots, they are going to put a good swing on it," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. Khris Davis had a career-best three hits for Milwaukee. "He keeps showing he can hang in there. He works the count well, which I really like," Roenicke said. "Hes an aggressive swinger, but hes not a hacker. He doesnt just go up there and swing at everything. He swings at the pitch he wants to swing at." NOTES: Milwaukee reliever Rob Wooten was placed on the paternity list. Wooten didnt make it back to North Carolina in time for the birth of his daughter. "He walked into the room and (his wife) was holding the baby," Roenicke said. "But everyone is fine." ... Pitcher Donovan Hand was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to replace Wooten. Hand was optioned back to Nashville immediately after the game, as was INF/OF Sean Halton. Corresponding moves will be forthcoming, according to a team spokesman. ... OF Norichika Aoki was held out of the lineup due to right knee soreness. "It has been bugging him for a while. We arent worried too much," Roenicke said. ... The Cardinals concluded a 12-game stretch against NL Central clubs. ... St. Louis returns home to face the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. Milwaukee returns to action Friday at Cincinnati. Kansas City Royals Store .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Kansas City Royals Shirts . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. Wholesale Royals Jerseys . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1. Fake Royals Jerseys . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. WASHINGTON -- When womens basketball players at George Washington learned this past offseason that the school had named a new coach for their program, they quickly turned to their cell phones and a team group chat to disseminate any information they could dig up on the hire.It didnt take long before a string of impressive YouTube highlights of a quick and crafty 5-foot-6 guard from UConn began to circulate. The team sentiment quickly swung from curiosity to shock and excitement.In the team group message we talked like, Are you kidding me, this stud is going to be our coach? senior guard Hannah Schaible said.The stud was 1996 Wade Trophy winner Jennifer Rizzotti, who in April signed on as coach at George Washington after 17 seasons at Hartford, where she won 316 games en route to becoming the winningest coach in America East Conference history. Rizzotti is George Washingtons 10th coach and first female coach since Jennifer Bednarek in the 1988-89 season.For many, Rizzottis departure from Hartford -- which she led to five conference championships and six NCAA tournament appearances -- was received with the same level of shock as that of her newly inherited roster. Rizzotti, 41, had said that few schools could get her to uproot her family, which includes two sons and husband Bill Sullivan, who joins her on the bench in Foggy Bottom as an associate head coach.George Washington, however, was on that selective list, especially after coach Jonathan Tsipis had rebuilt the Colonials in his four seasons there before leaving to coach Wisconsin in March.I wanted to go to a program that was successful, rather than a program that I had to rebuild, so that initially made the job attractive to me -- because the coach was leaving for a bigger job and not leaving because he was fired, Rizzotti said. Theres already an established winning culture here and a foundation of doing things the right way.Geno Auriemma, Rizzottis longtime mentor after playing for him at UConn and then serving as an assistant coach on his gold-medal winning team in the Rio Olympics, has complete confidence in her ability to succeed in her new role. And unlike others, Auriemma said he was not surprised by Rizzottis decision to leave for George Washington.I think there has been opportunities for Jen to move in the past, but for whatever reasons, she didnt think that the time was right, said Auriemma, who added that he and Rizzotti had spoken briefly about the challenges that come with transitioning to another program. There was never a feeling of, I never want to move or Im afraid to move; the timing was never right.I knew that people werent going to stop pursuing Jen, so the fact that she left doesnt surprise me one bit.Rizzotti inherited a George Washington program that has impressed in recent years as it works toward regaining its once consistent NCAA tournament presence under former cooach Joe McKeown.dddddddddddd Between 1999-2008, George Washington made nine straight NCAA tournament appearances, including consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 in 2007-08. In the past two seasons, George Washington won back-to-back A-10 championships but lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament both times.Rizzotti wont have to rebuild the program, but she will have to retool the roster now that Jonquel Jones, the face of the program the past two seasons, was selected No. 6 overall in the WNBA draft. Helped by Jones 14.6 rebounds per game in an abbreviated season due to injury, George Washington led the nation in rebounding (48.6 per game) in 2015-16. Point guard Lauren Chase, who ranked 15th in the country in assists last season, has also graduated.The Colonials were picked fourth in the A-10 preseason coaches poll. If you ask Rizzotti, however, thats exactly where she wants to be to start her first season in her new home.I kind of had a feeling that we wouldnt be a favorite to win the conference, but we certainly wouldnt be picked 14th, either, Rizzotti said. Thats a pretty good situation to be in your first year.Without Jones, Rizzotti will rely heavily on senior forward Caira Washington, an A-10 preseason first-team selection, in the frontcourt. Along with junior forward Kellie Prange as well as graduate transfer forward Lexi Martins, who led the nation in total rebounds a year ago while at Lehigh, Rizzotti believes the team can remain dominant on the boards.In addition to Washington, the team will also turn to junior guard Brianna Cummings for a breakout season on the wing. A former five-star recruit, the 5-foot-10 Cummings emerged last season as a formidable scorer for the Colonials, demonstrating an ability to both get to the rim and consistently connect from midrange.The big question for the Colonials is at the tip of the backcourt, where Rizzotti will juggle between two inexperienced point guards in sophomore Mei-Lyn Bautista and junior Camila Tapias to run the floor.George Washington is off to a 1-1 start, delivering the first win of the Rizzotti era on Sunday with a 56-45 victory over Princeton. Players like Washington are optimistic about the teams potential.Weve been lucky enough to have a great coaching staff that has come in and changed the program for the better, Washington said. Not every change is bad.Rizzotti admits that she has first-season nerves, a feeling she hasnt had to deal with in almost two decades. And more than anything, Rizzotti has no interest in a new coachs grace period.I want to make it a quick adjustment and a quick transition so what theyre used to -- which is winning -- doesnt go away, she said. I dont want to lose that sensation and that feeling. Yeah, I feel the pressure. ' ' '