MILWAUKEE — Perhaps the only two people not surprised to see Eric Gagne come trotting in from the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen in the ninth inning of a 5-3 game Tuesday night were manager Ned Yost and Gagne.

But the nearer the mound the erstwhile closer got, the more the Miller Park crowd of 26,465 cheered.

Two Los Angeles Dodgers baserunners and three outs later, it was uncertain whether those fans should cheer or just let go a collective sigh of relief. They chose to cheer, but only after catching their breath.

Even Gagne wasn't sure what to do when he got Juan Pierre to lift a soft fly to left on the first pitch with runners at first and second for the final out to preserve the victory for the 10th time in 15 tries this season and the first time after three shaky outings and a blown save since May 1.

"I didn't breathe for a while," Gagne said of that final out. "The way things have been going, maybe a bird was going to fly in the way."

It was a gutsy move to say the least by Yost, who on Sunday decided to give Gagne a "mental break" from closing after Gagne gave up two runs in the ninth in a 5-3 loss to St. Louis.

Gagne pitched two less-than-impeccable innings in a victory over the Cardinals on Monday night, a performance that certainly didn't exclaim Gagne was to be trusted in the most important bullpen role.

Yost could only imagine what the uproar would have been if Gagne had reverted to what had become his recent form.

"Sure, I could not pitch him so people didn't think I was stupid for using him," Yost said. "It's always a gamble. But you still have to trust your people. I'm not one to protect myself."

Gagne did manage to protect a lead that was built on a three-run fifth inning off Dodgers starter Brad Penny (5-4).

Los Angeles catcher Russell Martin led off the ninth with a full-count single and was forced at second on Blake DeWitt's grounder, a play that should have been a double play except for Weeks high throw to shortstop J.J. Hardy at second.

Pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney, a notorious first-ball hitter, lived up to his reputation by lining the first Gagne offering to Corey Hart in right for the second out.

Gagne and pinch-hitter Andruw Jones then engaged in a 10-pitch duel that ended with a walk. Pierre then ended it.

"I asked him if he was ready to take his role back," Yost said of his pregame talk with Gagne, "and he said, 'Definitely.' "

Gagne appreciated the confidence shown by the fans, the same who lustily booed his performance last Saturday.

"They were really a lot of help." More important, he appreciated the support of teammates. "It's hard not to believe in yourself," he said, when his teammates showed so much faith in him.

Carlos Villanueva (2-4) bounced back from two straight poor starts to limit the Dodgers to three runs — two earned — over the first six innings.

Villanueva danced around a dangerous situation in the fourth when he allowed three straight no-out hits, including Martin's run-scoring single.

But Villanueva escaped any more damage and shut down the Dodgers on a just one single over his final two innings.

"You try not to think about it," Yost said of the big-inning possibility in the fourth. "But he did a real nice job of limiting the damage. He can build on that."

Ryan Braun continued his red-hot hitting with a two-run double in the fifth that overcame a 3-2 deficit.

Perhaps even more pleasing to the Brewers' faithful is that Prince Fielder delivered a single that scored Braun with the final run of the inning.

But the biggest moment was still a few innings away, and Gagne delivered.

"The quicker the better," Yost said of Gagne return to the ninth-inning job. "He just needed a day and the day was yesterday. He's a closer."