Cardinals cruise past Brewers to earn series split

NATIONAL LEAGUE CARDINALS 8, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE — Luke Weaver settled in after a shaky first inning to win for the first time in eight starts and Jose Martinez hit a threerun home run to pace the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

The Cardinals split the four-game series with the Brewers, which helps both teams gain ground on the Chicago Cubs, who were swept in a series in Cincinnati.

Weaver (4-6) allowed two runs, both in the first, on five hits in 52/3 innings. He struck out a season-high nine and walked two for his first victory since May 11.

Martinez’s 11th home run capped a five-run fourth when St. Louis erased a 2-1 deficit. Dexter Fowler, who entered hitting .163, doubled twice and scored twice, and Harrison Bader reached four times, scoring twice for the Cardinals.

Fowler opened the fourth with a double to left and Bader walked. Both runners advanced on Kelton Wong’s fly out to right. After Weaver struck out, Matt Carpenter lined a two-run single to center to put the Cards up 3-2.

Jhoulys Chacin (6-3) issued his fifth walk to Greg Garcia and Martinez then drove an 0-2 pitch over the wall in center to make it 6-2.

The Cardinals extended it to 8-2 in the fifth. Fowler again led off with a double and Bader followed with an RBI single. Wong singled Bader to third and Weaver laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt.

Chacin allowed a season-high 8 runs on 9 hits in 41/3 innings, striking out 5 and walking 5.