ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado hit a three-run double in St. Louis’ five-run fifth inning, and Alec Burleson added three hits to help the Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Friday night.
Sonny Gray (14-8) allowed one run and nine hits while striking out seven in six innings, and the Cardinals won for the third time in five games.
Jacob Misiorowski (5-3) allowed two runs and five hits with three walks in 3 2/3 innings for the Brewers, who had won three straight since a loss to the Cardinals in Milwaukee on Sunday.
Sal Frelick lined his 11th homer of the season to right field to lead off the third inning and pull Milwaukee to 2-1. Frelick is 8 for 26 (.308) with two home runs and eight RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.
Lars Nootbaar hit a two-out RBI single to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the first after Misiorowski walked Brendan Donovan and Iván Hererra to start the inning. St. Louis made it 2-0 in the second when Thomas Saggese scored from third on a double-play grounder.
Key moment
Donovan, Herrera and Burleson each singled off Rob Zastrynsky to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning prompting Brewers manager Pat Murphy to turn to Grant Anderson to face Arenado. Arenado lined a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a bases-clearing double to etend the lead to 5-1. Saggese later added an RBI double, and Jordan Walker stroke a two-out RBI single to cap off a five-run inning that saw 10 men bat for the Cardinals.
Key stat
Milwaukee’s magic number to clinch the NL Central was reduced to three after the Cubs lost to Cincinnati earlier Friday night.
Up next
Brewers RHP Chad Patrick (3-8, 3.64 ERA) is scheduled to face Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (8-10, 4.80) on Saturday night.