By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS(AP) -- A late slump has assured the St. Louis Cardinals
that they'll open the postseason on the road. Still to be
decided is whether Kyle Lohse or John Smoltz will get the final
spot in the NL Central champions' playoff rotation.

The Cardinals lost for the fifth time in six games since
clinching the division, 5-4 to Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee
Brewers on Saturday.

Lohse (6-10) worked six innings and allowed five runs, but only
two earned. Tony La Russa will pick between Lohse and Smoltz for
the fourth starting spot - the manager wouldn't tip his hand
while judging that Lohse did "mostly good things."

"Obviously I want to start, but that's not up to me," Lohse
said. "I think Smoltzie and I are both just sitting there going,
'Just let us know what we're doing."'

The Cardinals have dropped to the third playoff seed ahead of
only the wild-card winner.

"We're definitely not firing on all cylinders," La Russa said.
"If it's true that we lost a little focus or lost an edge,
that's not our style. The fact is we've gotten beat and at some
places it has not been pretty, but we'll see if we can pretty
tomorrow afternoon."

A late-season offensive splurge enabled Braun to reach 200 hits
for the first time with one game to spare. He hit a two-run
homer in the first inning and added an infield hit.

Braun is batting .432 (16 for 37) during an eight-game hitting
streak with three homers and 10 RBIs.

"It wasn't something I was thinking about at all, it wasn't on
my radar," Braun said. "I'm swinging the bat well, and it's
always nice to finish the season strong individually and as a
team."

Second baseman Julio Lugo made two of the Cardinals' three
errors, which matched a season high. His wild throw on Alcides
Escobar's two-out, bases-loaded grounder allowed the tying and
go-ahead runs to score in the sixth as the ball sailed over the
heads of first baseman Albert Pujols and Lohse when both
scurried to cover the bag.

Lohse was afraid somebody was going to get hurt and La Russa
would have preferred Lugo go to second for a force.

"I tried to get to the ball but there wasn't any way I could
have reached it without colliding with Albert," Lohse said. "I
don't see anything good coming out of it, either one of us."

Braun leads the NL with 201 hits and is the fourth Brewer to top
200, joining Cecil Cooper, Paul Molitor and Robin Young. Cooper
did it three times and Molitor twice. With one more steal in
Sunday's finale, Braun will become the second Brewer to hit 30
homers and steal 20 bases.

Carlos Villanueva (4-10) won his first game as a starter in six
attempts, allowing four runs in five innings. He had been 0-3
with a 6.38 ERA as a starter, and was filling in for Dave Bush
(triceps).

"Honestly, I'm just glad I could get five innings and let the
game be close when I left," Villanueva said.

Trevor Hoffman worked the ninth for his 37th save in 40 chances.

Pujols tied the major league single-season record with his 184th
assist at first base on a flip to reliever Blake Hawksworth that
beat pinch-hitter Corey Patterson in the eighth. He matched the
mark set by Boston's Bill Buckner in 1985.

Brendan Ryan doubled twice while going 3 for 3 with an RBI, and
kept himself alive in a rundown long enough to allow Pujols to
get to second on a groundball in fifth. Ryan Ludwick had a
two-run single in the first.

The Brewers had two hits and two walks against St. Louis closer
Ryan Franklin but didn't score, after Craig Counsell was caught
stealing on Braun's strikeout and Prince Fielder was out at the
plate on Mike Cameron's third hit of the day.

NOTES: The Cardinals are 14-15 since Sept. 1. ... Rick Ankiel
struck out all three times against Villanueva, leaving two on in
the first and the bases loaded in the fifth. He's 1 for 14 with
eight strikeouts against the right-hander. ... Brewers pitcher
Braden Looper has allowed 39 homers, by far the major league
high. He allowed six runs in six innings Friday in the Brewers'
comeback 12-6 victory, but no long balls. ... Braun leads the NL
with 63 multihit games.