MILWAUKEE _ The Cardinals got as far as a few home runs would take them, but what's true in the standings was also true on the field.
They weren't enough to catch the Milwaukee Brewers.
The host Brewers improved to 7-1 on this homestand and asserted their hold on the division lead with a 8-3 victory Monday afternoon at Miller Park. The Cardinals got two home runs, including Yairo Munoz's first in the majors, and were able to tighten the game down to a run before the Brewers pulled away late.
Three stolen bases and a home run against lefty Brett Cecil in the seventh inning widened the gap for the Brewers and meant that their lockdown relievers could sit down in the bullpen.
Cardinals starter Luke Weaver managed only four innings and allowed four runs on five hits and a couple walks. The Brewers got out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Ryan Braun doubled and scored on Manny Pina's single. Christian Yelich homered with two outs in the third inning to extend the Brewers' lead to 2-0, and then two more runs scored in the fourth inning when pitcher Brent Suter squirted a grounder down the first-base line that Jose Martinez could have made a play on.
He didn't and two more runs scored for a 4-0 lead.
Braun had three hits in the game and scored three runs while reaching base four times. Yelich had two of the three steals off Cecil in the seventh inning, and the former Marlins outfielder scored three runs and had two hits.
Munoz's two-run homer was the Cardinals' biggest blast of the game and all three of the Cardinals' runs came on homers off Suter in the fifth inning. Munzo hit a two-run shot with nobody out. Three batters later, Matt Carpenter busted the defensive shift he faces by going over it with his sixth home run of the season.
Batting fifth, Ozuna went 1-for-4 with three groundouts.
