Taylor, Adames homer, lead Brewers past Cards 6-4 for split

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Tyrone Taylor hit a three-run homer, Willy Adames added a solo shot and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Thursday to split a four-game series with their NL Central rivals.

Taylor's drive to left field on a 2-1 sinker from Dakota Hudson (5-4) in the fourth inning gave the Brewers a 4-2 lead and snapped a streak of 46 1/3 innings without allowing a homer by the Cardinals right-hander.

Adames took Hudson deep leading off the fifth to make it 5-3.

“We stuck to it today,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “You have to do everything right in these games to beat good teams. We did some things wrong today but we kept at it and did enough things right the last six innings to get a (victory).”

The Brewers, who have won five of seven, moved back into a first-place tie with the Cardinals atop the division. St. Louis has lost five of its last eight.

Jason Alexander (2-0) allowed four runs on six hits, working into the sixth inning while making his fifth start for a Brewers rotation that's been plagued by injuries.

Josh Hader breezed through the ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances.

Paul Goldschmidt doubled in a run for St. Louis and came around to score on Alexander's throwing error to make it 2-0 in the first inning. Alexander then allowed another double to Nolan Arenado and hit Brendan Donovan with a pitch before inducing an inning-ending double play from Juan Yepez.

Lars Nootbaar led off the fifth with a homer for the Cardinals. St. Louis again got within one run on Yepez's sacrifice fly in the sixth, but Milwaukee responded with Jace Peterson's sac fly in the eighth.

Hudson allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

“It really wasn’t all that bad until a couple of poorly timed homers,” Hudson said. “That's what cost us the lead and we just never got it back.”

LOTS OF JAMS

The St. Louis pitching staff allowed Milwaukee to load the bases with nobody out in the third, fourth and eighth innings.