Brewers 5, Cardinals 4
MILWAUKEE -- Khris Davis welcomed Jonathan Broxton back to Miller Park rather rudely.
Davis took his former teammate deep for a decisive two-run home run in the eighth inning, as the Milwaukee Brewers avoided a sweep with a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Miller Park.
It was Davis' second home run of the afternoon, giving the left fielder his second multi-home run game in the last four days.
Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson and the Cardinals had a consecutive scoreless innings streaks snapped Sunday.
Third baseman Elian Herrera ended St. Louis' consecutive scoreless innings streak at 38 with a one-out solo home run to left field off Cardinals right-hander John Lackey in the third inning.
After center fielder Shane Peterson worked Lackey for a seven-pitch walk to keep the inning alive, Davis connected for a two-run home run into Milwaukee's bullpen in left-center field to make it 3-0.
Nelson took his personal streak of innings pitched without allowing an earned run up to 25 2/3 before the Cardinals broke through in the sixth inning to cut Milwaukee's lead to 3-1.
Cardinals right fielder Jason Heyward lined a two-out single into left-center field to score second baseman Kolten Wong, who reached on an infield single and stole second base earlier in the inning.
St. Louis used an infield single and a seeing-eye single to put two on with nobody out against Nelson in the seventh inning. After a sacrifice bunt by catcher Tony Cruz advanced the runners to second and third, pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds hit a shot back up the middle that caromed off Nelson and straight to first baseman Adam Lind for an easy out.
With left-handed hitters Carpenter and Wong due up next, Counsell had Smith ready to go in the bullpen.
But he instead stuck with Nelson against Carpenter, who gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead by launching a three-run home run into the second deck in right field.
Carpenter has an extra-base hit in each of his last six games, increasing his post All-Star break total to a major league best 16.
The Brewers put two on with two outs in the seventh, but Cardinals reliever Seth Maness got Herrera to fly out to deep center field to end the threat.
Pinch-hitter Jason Rogers led off the bottom of the eighth with a single off left-hander Kevin Siegrist and Peterson moved pinch-runner Logan Schafer to second base with a sacrifice bunt.
Facing Broxton, who posted a 5.89 ERA in 40 games with the Brewers before being traded to the Cardinals on July 31, Davis homered to left-center field to put Milwaukee back in front at 5-4.
Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez worked a perfect ninth inning to record his 31st save of the season.
NOTES: St. Louis entered Sunday with a 36-inning consecutive scoreless innings streak on the mound, including three straight shutouts. The last time the Cardinals tossed four straight shutouts in the same season was July 6-11, 1943. ... Cardinals C Tony Cruz made just his 13th start of the season behind the plate Sunday, giving starter Yadier Molina a day off. Three of Cruz's 13 starts have come in August. ... The Brewers entered Sunday having been shut out twice in a row. Milwaukee has been shut out in three straight games just once in franchise history (May 3-6, 1972). ... Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson came into Sunday's start having thrown 20 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. ... Brewers CF Shane Peterson made his first career start in the leadoff spot Sunday. Peterson is the 10th different player to hit in the top spot for Milwaukee this season.