MILWAUKEE -- Out for a month with the first oblique strain of his career, Cardinals daredevil center fielder Michael Siani craved being back in the middle of the action and diving headlong in the outfield to make the kind of catches no one thought possible.

Playing just his second game since being activated from a frustrating injury, Siani got his wish with some late-inning dramatics.

Just minutes after he had a potential game-winning catch in the 11th ruined by the ball flinging out of his glove as his sliding body bowed up and flipped over, Siani came to the plate an inning later and delivered a two-run single that helped the Cardinals outlast the Brewers 7-4 at American Family Field on Tuesday.

You might wonder what emotions stirred the most for Siani: The frustration of not making the catch or driving in the winning runs and scoring?

¡°Oh, definitely being mad about not making that catch,¡± said Siani, who has locked down the position ranked sixth in MLB in Outs Above Average (14). ¡°I obviously want to make that play and the game¡¯s over, and you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. But it was good to come up in that situation and redeem myself and make something happen.¡±

Originally up to bunt with runners at first and second, that game plan changed when Elvis Peguero¡¯s wild pitch went to the backstop and Victor Scott II and Iv¨¢n Herrera moved into scoring position. From there, Siani connected on a 97.1 mph sinker from Peguero and dunked it into left field to give the Cardinals the breathing room needed for their third victory in the past four games.

Afterward, Siani marveled at how the game made him a hero just minutes after he couldn¡¯t make a game-ending play. Making that catch would have defied baseball odds, with Statcast registering it at a 10 percent catch probability. Still, Siani burned that he couldn¡¯t be the defensive hero.

¡°We see it all the time: The game will find you, for sure,¡± Siani said. ¡°It happened tonight, and we made it work. I was confident and I tried my best to flush the situation in the outfield and make something happen.¡±

Having finally secured a spot in the big leagues with his stellar defense, Siani ached throughout August when the oblique injury on his right side knocked him out of action for 30 days. Unable to do much for three weeks while the muscle healed, Siani said he was admittedly cranky while having to sit and watch the Cardinals struggle. As much as he loves baseball, he hated watching from afar.

¡°This was what I wanted -- I wanted to play in those close games and come up in those big situations,¡± he said. ¡°Watching baseball is not my favorite thing to do, especially when I can¡¯t get in the game. You want to make that play in the outfield. You want to get that at-bat and help the team win. It sucked not being out there for a month, but it¡¯s good to be back with these guys and continue to fight and grind.¡±

Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley (7-4) missed out on what would have been his 43rd save of the season but got the win when he came back out and pitched a second inning for just the second time in 58 appearances this season. Helsley said he has become so accustomed to Siani making stellar catches that he was shocked when he saw the ball come flying out of the glove in the bottom of the 11th.

¡°[Brewers shortstop Willy Adames] hit it a little further left than I thought and top-spun it a little bit, but Mike got a great jump and I watched him the whole way and I thought he had it,¡± said Helsley of a catch that required Siani to cover 43 feet in 3.1 seconds, per Statcast. ¡°Then, chaos just happened.¡±

Helsley said the Cardinals' pitching staff loves Siani because of his fearlessness and the bevy of five-star catches he¡¯s made this season.

¡°He¡¯s as good as they come and you¡¯re not going to find anybody better across the league,¡± Helsley said. ¡°Having him out there and knowing how he prepares, that gives you confidence as a pitcher. It¡¯s just fun rooting for a guy like that.¡±