MILWAUKEE — It's unlikely Gabe Gross will ever forget his last day as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Gross had two doubles and walked twice in six plate appearances Tuesday, scoring three runs — including the winner in the 12th inning of the Brewers' 9-8 victory over St. Louis.

Gross then was traded immediately following the game to Tampa Bay in exchange for minor-league pitcher Josh Butler.

"Some day," he said with a shrug as he took a break in preparations to get his gear and body to join the Rays, who started a six-game homestand Tuesday night.

While Gross didn't necessarily think he was the odd man out in the Brewers outfield jumble, he certainly knew something was going to happen at some point because of the pending return of center fielder Mike Cameron, whose 25-game suspension for testing positive for banned stimulants ends after Sunday's game.

"Something had to give," he said. "I do my best not to try and figure this game out as far as trades and different things like that.

"But when Mike comes back, there's going to be a lot less playing time."

Those getting crimped now will be Tony Gwynn Jr. and Gabe Kapler, who will share the center field spot over the next five games before Cameron's return next Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs.

Gwynn, out since April 4 with a strained hamstring, completed his rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Nashville Tuesday afternoon with three hits in four at bats, giving him a .538 average in his four-game stint with the Sounds. He was 7-for-13 with two walks and two RBIs.

Gross had just started coming on at the plate. In seven straight starts, he had hit .280 (7-for-25) to boost his overall average to .209. His on-base average in that same stretch was .455 (15-for-33). Butler, the Rays' second-round draft pick in the 2006 draft, will report to Class A Brevard County. He is 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA this season and was 9-4 with a 3.34 ERA in his first full season in the minors last year.

The 12-inning fallout

Consider some of the more unusual occurrences from the Brewers' victory over the Cardinals:

• Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols made his first regular-season appearance at second base for the final three innings. He did not have a fielding chance.

• Milwaukee reliever David Riske, who played his first seven seasons in the American League, fouled out to the catcher in his first major league at-bat in the sixth inning.

• Three pitchers made pinch-hitting appearances, with the Cardinals coming out on top in that department. Adam Wainwright hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Braden Looper put down a sacrifice bunt in the 10th. Brewers starter Jeff Suppan, who was successful in putting down a sacrifice bunt in a pinch-hitting appearance Monday night, failed this time, fouling out to Pujols at first in the ninth.

"It makes the game interesting. It's what's cool about National League baseball," said Kapler, who has spent the bulk of his career in the AL.