Brewers 5, Cardinals 3
Brewers 5, Cardinals 3: Sean Halton homered and drove in three runs while Tyler Thornburg pitched six solid innings to help visiting Milwaukee salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Scooter Gennett and Jonathan Lucroy joined Halton with two hits apiece as the Brewers sent St. Louis right-hander Joe Kelly to his first loss since June 5. Kelly (8-4) allowed four runs - three earned - on seven hits over five innings as the Cardinals dropped into a tie with Pittsburgh atop the National League Central.
Thornburg (2-1) struck out six while allowing two runs on three hits to earn his second major-league win. Rob Wooten and Brandon Kintzler each worked a scoreless frame to bridge the gap to Jim Henderson, who allowed a ninth-inning homer by Matt Adams before wrapping up his 25th save.
The Brewers took a 1-0 lead on Aramis Ramirez's RBI groundout in the first before Halton took over with a run-scoring single in the second and a two-run blast to left field in the fourth. St. Louis broke through with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on Matt Holliday's RBI double and David Freese's sacrifice fly.
Norichika Aoki added an insurance run in the ninth with an RBI triple as Milwaukee snapped the Cardinals' five-game winning streak and won for only the fourth time in 16 meetings this season. St. Louis managed only six hits - two for extra bases.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cardinals C Yadier Molina and his brother, assistant hitting coach Bengie Molina, missed a second consecutive game to be with their mother, Gladys, while she recovers from a surgical procedure. … St. Louis RHP Trevor Rosenthal was away from the team Thursday because his wife, Lindsey, was induced into labor with the couple's first child. Rosenthal and both Molina brothers are expected back Friday. … Brewers LF Khris Davis missed his sixth straight game with a sore left wrist.