Cardinals’ closer Ryan Franklin and set up man, Trever Miller signed contract extensions yesterday that will keep the two pitchers in the St. Louis bullpen for a couple of years.

Franklin signed a two-year deal for 2010 and 2011, and Miller’s deal is a revision of 2009 and adds 2010, replacing his former one year deal he signed when he came over from Tampa.  There is also a vesting option for the 2011 season for Miller.

Franklin was an All-star this year and even though he gave up two runs in the game last night, his ERA is still just 1.36 while he picked up his 36th save.  Miller has been a key acquistion for the Cardinals.  This season, Miller is 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA.  He’s appeared in 57 games and pitched in just 36 innings, but has been used as a specialist.

The Cardinals magic number for clinching the NL Central Division is 21, but the season’s magic number may as well be 15.  That’s Matt Holliday’s number.  Yesterday he came up big again in the seventh inning.  Holliday broke a 4-4 tie in with his 20 ^th homer of the year as the Cardinals beat Milwaukee 7-6.  (photo courtesy of Bill Greenblatt, UPI St. Louis)

Brewers relief pitcher David Weathers intentionally walked Albert Pujols with two outs to bring up Holliday.  Gene Macha went to the bullpen and called on Todd Coffey.  Holliday homered to center to put the Cardinals on top.  Ryan Franklin gave up two runs in the 9 ^th , but picked up his 36 ^th save the same day he learned his contract was extended two years with the club.  The team also gave lefty reliever Trever Miller a new contract for this season and 2010 with an option for 2011 which means the back end of the Cardinals bullpen could be together for two more seasons.

Pujols homered in the fourth inning off former Cardinal starter Braden Looper.  That was apart of a three run fourth inning to tie the game after Casey McGehee hit a three run homer of Joel Pineiro in the first inning.

Pineiro gave up a single to McGehee in the sixth, but the Cardinals struck back again in the bottom of the inning with two outs when Ryan Ludwick doubled and scored two batters later on Yadier Molina’s single.

Pineiro despite the off night had enough offense to give him his 14 ^th win of the season. 

Click below to listen to post game comments from Holliday, Pineiro and Pujols.

Listen to Cardinals postgame

Royals’ closer Joakim Soria bailed out his bullpen mates again who nearly blew a 4-1 lead for Kyle Davies.  Soria pitched a scoreless 8 ^th and 9 ^th inning to save a 4-3 win over Oakland. 

After Davies gave up a solo home run in the first inning, he settled down and went six innings allowing just a total of four hits and one walk.  He left the game with a 4-1 lead after the Royals broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth scoring three runs.  Alberto Callaspo singled in two runs in that inning.

As it has happened so many times this season, relief nearly turned to disaster as the A’s scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to close the game to 4-3.

However, Soria came in and closed the door in the final two innings.  It was Soria’s 21 ^st save and fifth time he’s pitched more than one inning.  It seems the old school approach of having the closer pitch more than an inning has paid off for the Royals.  Soria is 1-0 with four saves and in those 10 innings.  He’s given up a total of two runs, six hits and 15 strikeouts.