MILWAUKEE -- A spectacular 13-strikeout performance from Carlos Martínez faded to an afterthought by the time the Cardinals' bullpen finished unraveling in the seventh inning on Monday.
Milwaukee sent 10 batters to the plate to turn a two-run deficit into a 5-3 advantage over a Cardinals club clinging to the National League's second Wild Card spot.
Matt Bowman, pitching for the third time in four days, served up a one-out solo homer to Orlando Arcia before walking Martín Maldonado and giving up a single to pinch-hitter Domingo Santana. Maldonado, representing the tying run, raced to third on the hit.
Kevin Siegrist inherited the mess, and things only got worse. Jonathan Villar pounced on Siegrist's first pitch for a game-tying RBI ground-rule double. The Cardinals drew their infield in to try and preserve the tie game, but first baseman Matt Carpenter could only smother a hard-hit grounder by Scooter Gennett. Without a play at home, Carpenter made a desperate try to garner an out at first. He didn't get that either.
Two more walks, the latter of which forced home a run, ended Siegrist's night. He did not retire any of the four batters he faced. Miguel Socolovich, fresh off a promotion from Triple-A, bailed Siegrist out by stranding the bases full.
It marked the third straight game in which the Cardinals' bullpen endured a costly implosion. On Saturday, two runs allowed by Bowman led to a one-run loss against Oakland. A day later, the Cardinals' comeback attempt was negated when Jonathan Broxton allowed two eighth-inning runs while recording one out.
The Brewers tallied as many hits (four) in the seventh on Monday as they had off Martinez in his six-inning start.