ST. LOUIS _ Dexter Fowler's three-run double in the sixth inning helped the Cardinals take the lead and go on to a 9-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers before a crowd of 37,823 Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.
Fowler also drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk, one of three recorded by the first-place Cardinals in the victory.
The three-game series wraps up Wednesday.
Fowler delivered the game-changing hit, a three-run bloop double in a four-run sixth inning. He also walked with the bases loaded in the seventh, finishing the game four RBIs. Kolten Wong drove in a pair of runs while Yadier Molina, Harrison Bader and Tommy Edman drove in the other Cardinals' runs Marcel Ozuna had three hits and Molina had a two-hit game for the Cardinals.
Michael Wacha threw four innings of shutout ball before being replaced for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fourth. Recording a strikeout with two on to end the sixth, Brandon Webb (1-1) picked up the win in relief.
Milwaukee got three hits from Lorenzo Cain and two-hit games from Ryan Braun, Eric Thames and Hernan Perez. Orlando Arcia drove in two runs while Thames and Perez had the other RBIs. Reliever Jeremy Jeffress, who failed to retire any of the three hitters he faced in the sixth, took the loss and fell to 3-4 this season.
As a team, Milwaukee outhit the Cardinals 12-10 but issued the Cardinals nine base on balls in Tuesday's game.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Wong came through with a bases-loaded single to drive in two runs and stretch the Cardinals' lead to 7-2.
The Cardinals had loaded the bases as Paul Goldschmidt and Ozuna led off with singles and Molina walked with one out.
After a walk to Bader, his third of the game, pinch-hitter Yairo Munoz hit into a forceout and the plate. Fowler followed with a bases-loaded walk, pushing the Cardinals' lead to 8-2.
A walk to Edman was the third bases-loaded walk of the game, pushing the lead to 9-2.
Milwaukee scored twice in the eighth, getting an RBI hit from Perez and a sacrifice fly from Orlando Arcia. That cut the Redbirds' lead to 9-4.
The Cardinals rallied in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead.
After Ozuna led off with a hit, Paul DeJong was hit by pitch and Molina followed with an infield single to load the bases. Lefty reliever Alex Claudio replaced Jeffress and struck out Wong for the inning's first out.
After Claudio was replaced by right-handed Junior Guerra, who walked Bader on a 3-1 pitch to tie the score at 2. Guerra followed by striking out pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter for the second out and then went to a 3-0 count against Fowler before the Cardinals' outfielder delivered a bloop double to left on a 3-2 pitch that cleared the bases and put the Cardinals on top 5-2.
After Christian Yelich doubled to lead off the Milwaukee sixth, Bader came up with a stellar catch on a sinking liner off the bat of the Brewers' Keston Hiura. Bader made a similar diving play against the Cain to open the ballgame.
But the Brewers' tied the game at 1-1 when Thames hit a two-out single up the middle against reliever John Gant. Perez and Arcia followed with hits against Gant, allowing the Brewers to take a 2-1 lead.
With two on and two out, Tyler Webb came on in relief to strike out pinch-hitter Ben Gamel to end the sixth inning.
In his first at-bat since being recalled from AAA Memphis, the Cardinals' Bader tripled off the wall in left to lead off the bottom of the third inning. But after Wacha struck and Fowler walked, the Cards' Edman hit into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
In the Cardinals' fourth inning, Ozuna reached on a one-out infield single. After DeJong followed with a walk, Molina singled up the middle to score Ozuna and put the Cardinals on top 1-0.
After Molina's hit, Wong struck out and Bader walked to load the bases. The Cardinals elected to pinch-hit for Wacha with Lane Thomas, who flew out to end the inning.
Each team managed one baserunner through the opening two innings of the game. Milwaukee catcher Yasmani Grandal walked with one out in the first. In the home half of the second inning, Cardinals' catcher Molina drew a walk with two outs.
In the Milwaukee third, Cain singled with two outs and was stranded. The Brewers got two-out hits from Braun and Thames in the fourth, but Perez flew out to center to end the threat.
Brewers starter Gio Gonzalez went five innings, striking out six while allowing three hits and one run. Wacha fanned five in four innings before being lifted.
