A four-run fourth inning and some timely pitching was all the Cardinals needed as they beat their former teammate, Kyle Lohse, for the third straight time with a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

“Baseball is a stupid game…baseball is weird, man. You make some good pitches and they get some good hits.”

John Gast (2-0) won his second straight start and Seth Maness escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh. It was an odd outing for Maness. He allowed no runs and five hits in 1.2 innings. He’s just the ninth pitcher since 1916 to allow five hits and not give up a run, while retiring five batter.

The win was 14th in 17 games for the Cards, who took two of three from Milwaukee and lead the season series 8-2.

Jaime Garcia can only watch as Milwaukee Brewers Aramis Ramirez runs the bases after hitting his second three run home run of the game in the sixth inning. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

St. Louis Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain.

General manager John Mozeliak says the team became aware of the issue about a week ago and had hoped Garcia could work through it. He was charged with six runs and six hits over 5.1 innings (two Aramis Ramirez three-run homers) in a 7-6 victory over Milwaukee on Friday, improving to 5-2 while his ERA increased from 2.88 to 3.58.

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Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright delivers a pitch in the third inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on May 16, 2013. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Daniel Murphy and David Wright combined for five hits and three RBIs against Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals came up short of a four game sweep, falling 5-2 to the Mets, Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium.  Murphy went 4 for 4, doubled twice and walked, and was 9 for 15 in the series. Wright doubled, singled and drove in two runs.

The Cardinals continue to struggle against left handed pitchers. Jonathan Niese (3-4) allowed two runs on six hits in 7.1 innings, his longest start of the season. Niese is 3-1 in five starts against the Cardinals.  Pete Kozma and Carlos Beltran had an RBI apiece for the Cardinals, who lost for just the third time in 15 games.

Wainwright is 1-4 with a 7.29 ERA against the Mets for his career.

Daniel Descalso trots home after scoring from third base on a wild pitch in the seventh inning. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

22-year-old Shelby Miller followed up his one-hitter from a week ago with 5.2 scoreless innings, and got a no-decision as the Cardinals scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lead to a 4-2 win Wednesday night over the New York Mets.

The win instead went to Seth Maness, who was the pitcher of record, after Rick Ankiel’s two-run homer off the rookie tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh. It was his first homer against the team that converted the pitcher to an outfielder in 2005. Ankiel has 75 career homers.

Former Missouri State pitcher Shaun Marcum left the game with two on and two outs in the seventh, but Scott Rice’s wild pitch to pinch hitter Ty Wigginton allowed Daniel Descalso to score the go-ahead run. Yadier Molina tacked on an insurance run in the eighth.