Brewers 7, Cardinals 4
Aramis Ramirez homered and had an RBI double to highlight his three-hit performance and Wily Peralta tossed 6 2/3 solid innings as visiting Milwaukee won the opener of the three-game series.
Jonathan Lucroy ripped a bases-clearing double in the sixth for the Brewers, who moved three games ahead of St. Louis in the National League Central. Ryan Braun had an RBI double in the fifth to snap an 0-for-19 skid before adding another to cap the four-run sixth.
While Adam Wainwright (13-6) was denied in his bid for his majors-best 14th victory, Peralta (13-6) dominated his first five innings to keep the Cardinals at bay. The 25-year-old overcame Matt Holliday's homer to lead off the sixth and Matt Carpenter's RBI single in the seventh and allowed three other hits to pick up the win.
Carpenter added a two-run triple with two outs in the ninth to trim Milwaukee's lead to 7-4, but Francisco Rodriguez retired Kolten Wong to secure his 32nd save.
Ramirez opened the scoring in the second inning by depositing a 3-0 sinker from Wainwright over the wall in left-center field for his 13th homer - and first since July 22. The veteran slugger quickly gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead with a two-base hit in the third and Braun doubled in a run in the fifth before adding another after Lucroy's three-run two-base hit to right to provide a seven-run cushion in the sixth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Wainwright permitted a season-high tying seven runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss for St. Louis, which dropped its campaign-worst fourth in a row at home and seventh of 10 overall. Wainwright also allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 9-4 loss to San Francisco on May 30. ... Ramirez's homer was the first Wainwright has allowed on a 3-0 count in his career. ... Milwaukee's Khris Davis exited the contest with left calf tightness and was replaced by LF Gerardo Parra, who was acquired from Arizona on Thursday.