MILWAUKEE — Just when it looked like the Milwaukee Brewers were at seven and counting, Rickie Weeks turned the numbers completely upside down with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the ninth inning to bring the Brewers' losing streak to a grinding halt at six.

Weeks' line single to left scored J.J. Hardy and Gabe Kapler to cap a rally that started with two outs and nobody on and sent an anxious sellout audience of 42,705 home from Miller Park with a reason to celebrate a 4-3 victory instead of lamenting what looked so sure to be a 3-2 loss to the first-place St. Louis Cardinals.

The fans weren't the only ones celebrating. Weeks' reacted to his key hit off Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen (1-4) by tearing off his helmet and hurling it into the ground as his teammates dashed out of the dugout to him.

The first in line was first baseman Prince Fielder, whose burly presence can be enough to make even a teammate feel a bit nervous. But not Weeks.

"The way I felt out there," Weeks said of the moment, "I could have taken Mike Tyson three rounds."

Weeks had become the poster boy for the Brewers' recent offensive woes, especially during the six straight losses on the just concluded road trip.

He came into the game hitting just .188 with 11 runs batted in and a .138 mark with runners in scoring position.

In fact, Weeks had not yet knocked in a run with two outs in 16 tries. But the 17th try was the charm.

"Things are going to be said," Weeks said of the rash of criticism to hit him and his teammates during the road-trip slide. "But I have to keep my head clear and not worry about anything outside this clubhouse."

The rally started with a single by Hardy and that was followed by another single by Kapler, pinch-hitting for winning pitcher Brian Shouse (3-0).

Jason Kendall followed with a walk to load the bases.

With those remaining in the fifth sellout crowd of the season on their feet, Weeks took ball one from Isringhausen before lining the single to left, his second hit of the game.

"Of course it felt good," said Weeks, still straining for the .200 mark at .196 "We lost five — I don't know how many games in a row, six — so it feels good to get that win. I hope it gets us going and we can keep rolling. It was a long road trip and it wasn't the greatest road trip, either. It was great to get that win."

For at least one moment, it vindicated manager Ned Yost's seemingly unyielding faith in Weeks.

Yost has been urged by many to move Weeks out of the leadoff spot, but Yost steadfastly has refused in spite of Weeks' glaringly poor numbers.

"I don't look at Rickie hitting a buck-eighty," Yost said. "You watch Rickie's at bats. He is hitting in tremendously bad luck. He is hitting balls right on the nose right at people. … He's doing everything he should be doing. He just hasn't had much luck. ...

"But to break a six-game losing streak, that's a huge hit."

It certainly didn't look like that was going to happen.

Starter Manny Parra weathered a one-run first and a two-run second to finish up five innings with the best three innings he's pitched this season.

The bullpen extended its scoreless streak to 12 innings with four innings of shutout ball courtesy of David Riske, Salomon Torres and Shouse.

Still, the much-maligned offense was on life support.

The Brewers wasted a two-out, second-and-third opportunity in the first and a no-out, first-and-third chance in the sixth.

They scored twice in the fourth but needed an error by third baseman Brendan Ryan and a wild pitch by starter Todd Wellemeyer to make it happen.

Ryan Braun reached second on the error and scored on Corey Hart's double.

Hart then scored on the wild pitch. But that looked like it until Hardy started the rally and Weeks finished it.

"All you can do is go out there and swing the bat," Weeks said. "That's all you can ask for."