Bullpen Blows It for Prior

After all those strikeouts, Mark Prior was worn out. Moments later, his Chicago Cubs were cooked too.

Prior struck out a career-high 16 in eight innings, but he wound up with a no-decision when Milwaukee’s Geoff Jenkins hit a three-run homer in the ninth to rally the Brewers to a 5-3 victory Thursday at Chicago.

Cub reliever Joe Borowski (1-1) gave up a leadoff single to Scott Podsednik and walked Keith Ginter. Jenkins followed with a shot onto Sheffield Avenue.

Prior was outstanding, giving up two runs and four hits with no walks. His strikeout total was the highest in the majors this year.

But with his pitch count at 126, Manager Dusty Baker pulled Prior with a 3-2 lead -- an edge built on Sammy Sosa’s two-run home run.

“It wasn’t very tough,” Baker said of the decision. “It was tough to send Mark out there in the eighth. That was the tough one, he had 112 or 14 pitches before he started that inning.”

Prior wasn’t willing to risk anything, either.

“I was tired. We have had conversations about trying to learn how to be honest because it is a long season,” the 22-year-old ace said. “I was gassed going out in the eighth inning.”

St. Louis 11, Cincinnati 7 -- Tino Martinez went three for four with a three-run home run and rookie Bo Hart had three more hits for the Cardinals at St. Louis.

Hart was three for five with an RBI and is batting .514 since being called up seven games ago.

Philadelphia 8, Atlanta 1 -- Randy Wolf pitched six strong innings and Jim Thome and Mike Lieberthal homered at Atlanta as the Phillies won their second consecutive series against the Braves.

Wolf had struggled in the past with the Braves. He was 2-7 with a 4.35 earned-run average in 12 appearances against Atlanta.

Florida 6, New York 1 -- Rookie Dontrelle Willis (8-1) won his seventh consecutive start and the Marlins took advantage of four errors and three wild pitches at New York.