MILWAUKEE — About the only thing that could've put the exclamation point on the wacky Tuesday afternoon at Miller Park is if the Milwaukee Brewers would have traded Gabe Gross immediately after a game in which he led off the 12th inning with a walk, stole second and scored the winning run on Gabe Kapler's single.

Never mind. The exclamation point is in place.

That's how the Brewers' 9-8, 12-inning victory over St. Louis before a crowd of 23,478 ended, with the trade of Gross to Tampa Bay for a minor league pitcher following a 4-hour, 28-minute game that saw 40 players — including 15 pitchers — reach the boxscore.

As needy as the Brewers might have been for a victory to snap a two-game losing streak and restore some respect in this year's series with the Cardinals, it likely will prove to be a win the Brewers will pay for over the next few days in part because second baseman Rickie Weeks failed to complete a routine double play that would've given them the win in nine innings.

With Albert Pujols at the plate and the game-tying run at third, closer Eric Gagne looked as if he was not about to gag on his fourth blown save of the young season by getting Pujols to ground to Bill Hall at third. Hall's relay was fine but Weeks, whose advances as a fielder have not necessarily translated to consistently turning the DP, bounced his throw to first and Prince Fielder was unable to come up with it.

"He was out of it," manager Ned Yost said of the embattled Gagne. "The best hitter in the National League and he gets a double-play ball. We just didn't turn the double play for him."

The three extra frames forced Yost and St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa into emergency mode. Yost, who has eight relievers from his 14 pitchers on the roster, used seven in relief of starter Manny Parra.

The only reliever not to walk through the bullpen door was Derrick Turnbow, the loser from Monday night's game.

Seth McClung (1-0) picked up the victory after a perfect 12th inning, though Yost was prepared to use him to the end.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do (Wednesday)," Yost said of a pen that has taken a beating over the past week. "I'll take a poll, find out how they feel and figure out what I've got" for the first of two games with the hard-hitting Philadelphia Phillies.

While Yost was contemplating using today's scheduled starter, Dave Bush, in the outfield, and backup catcher Mike Rivera in the infield, LaRussa was forced to shift Pujols from first to second base in the 10th inning.

The move came about after Cardinals shortstop Cesar Izturis had to leave the game after getting hit by a pitch from Gagne leading off the ninth.

Pujols, troubled by a sore right elbow that someday probably will require surgery, told LaRussa he'd prefer to play short, a position he once played for two innings.

But LaRussa moved him to second, and switched second baseman Aaron Miles to short, catcher Jason LaRue to first and inserted Yadier Molina, his last available position player, behind the plate.

"It's something I don't want to do every time," said Pujols, who did not have a ball hit to him in three innings at second. "But in this case, it was an emergency."

The Brewers seemed to be in control after scoring four runs in the sixth to take an 8-3 lead, a rally sparked by Weeks' bases-clearing triple to the left-field corner.

But relievers David Riske and Brian Shouse gave back four of those runs in the seventh to set the stage for Weeks' blown double play.

"I just made a bad throw," Weeks said. "The biggest thing is we came out of it with a win."

But at what price? The answer should come in the next few days.