Wacha, 3 home runs send Cardinals over Brewers 6-1

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Michael Wacha pitched two-hit ball for 6 2/3 innings and the St. Louis Cardinals, boosted by three home runs, beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 victory on Tuesday night.

Harrison Bader, Matt Carpenter and Francisco Pena homered to help St. Louis top the NL Central leaders.

Wacha (6-1), who entered the game with a 2.17 ERA in May, allowed just one run. He walked four and struck out three, and combined with two relievers to limit the Brewers to three hits.

The Cardinals took control by scoring four times in the second inning off Zach Davies (2-5). Bader led off with a home run, Carpenter walked with the bases loaded and Jedd Gyorko wound with a two-run single when his slowly hit grounder escaped the reach of second baseman Hernan Perez.

Zach Davies, making his second start since coming off the disabled list with a right rotator cuff injury, allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings.

Perez got the Brewers' first hit with a soft single to center to lead off the fifth. The only other hit off Wacha was a sharp single by Eric Sogard in the seventh, the last batter the Cardinals pitcher faced.

Milwaukee scored in the seventh on a pinch-hit double by Jonathan Villar off reliever Sam Tuivailala. Jordan Hicks finished with two perfect innings, striking out four.