ST. LOUIS -- In the end it wasn't employing an "opener," or bullpenning, or whatever term the analytically-minded choose to apply to what the Brewers did Monday night that made the difference in a game they desperately wanted to win.
In the end, it was a little bit of help from the opponent that pushed the Brewers closer to clinching a spot in the postseason.
An Eric Thames triple that skipped past Cardinals right fielder Jose Martinez in the eighth inning, followed by an errant pickoff by Cards reliever Bud Norris gave the Brewers the go-ahead run they needed to overcome Josh Hader's rough night in a 6-4 win at Busch Stadium.