Goldschmidt helps Cardinals beat Brewers

ST. LOUIS — Paul Goldschmidt hit a grand slam and a three-run homer to back Adam Wainwright, who pitched six innings of two-hit ball as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-0 on Friday night.

The win gives the Cardinals a five-game lead over the third-place Brewers in the NL Central. St. Louis remains four games ahead of the Chicago Cubs, who defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 17-8.

It was the seventh win in the past nine home games for the Cardinals, who went 3-3 on a road trip leading up to Friday. The Brewers had their seven-game winning streak snapped and fell out of a tie with Chicago for the second wild card spot.

Wainwright (12-9) struck out seven and walked three. In his past three games, he’s allowed one earned run in 20 innings.

Adrian Houser (6-6) lasted three innings. He gave up four hits including Goldschmidt’s second grand slam of the season. He also struck out five and walked three. Goldschmidt connected on his second homer of the night and his 31st of the year in a six-run sixth. He cranked a 3-1 pitch from Jimmy Nelson to centerfield to record a career-high seven RBI. He now has 30 or more home runs in each of his past three seasons and five in his career.

Goldschmidt has feasted on Milwaukee pitching this year. He’s hitting .318 against the Brewers, with eight home runs and 20 RBI. He had a three homer game against the Brewers on March 29 in a 9-5 win at Milwaukee.

Houser allowed just two base runners in the first two innings, both via walks. But Wainwright doubled down the left-field line with one out in the third, Dexter Fowler walked and Kolten Wong barely beat out a bunt single to load the bases in front of Goldschmidt.

AP/JEFF ROBERSON St. Louis’s Paul Goldschmidt (right) is congratulated by teammate Dexter Fowler after hitting a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in St. Louis.