Cardinals 8, Brewers 6: Allen Craig and Carlos Beltran each had two hits and homered to cap a six-run second inning as St. Louis maintained its recent dominance in Milwaukee.

Beltran also scored twice while Shane Robinson recorded three hits for the Cardinals, who improved to 6-1 on the road against the Brewers and took two of three from a National League Central rival for the third straight series. Kevin Siegrist (2-1) picked up the win in relief of starter Jake Westbrook to move St. Louis within one game of the division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates.

Aramis Ramirez and Logan Schafer homered for Milwaukee, which fell to 3-10 against St. Louis overall. Khris Davis enjoyed his first career three-hit game and drove in a run while Sean Halton also contributed a run-scoring single in the fifth. Tom Gorzelanny (3-5) was pounded for seven runs and 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings.

After Craig doubled home Beltran to open the scoring in the first, the Cardinals roughed up Gorzelanny in the second as four consecutive batters reached base to open the frame, including Westbrook’s two-run double. Matt Carpenter followed with a sacrifice fly before Beltran hit a mammoth two-run blast and Craig added a solo shot for a 7-0 lead.

Ramirez’s three-run homer off the top of the wall in left put Milwaukee on the board in the third while back-to-back RBI singles from Juan Francisco and Davis knocked Westbrook out of the game in the fifth. Matt Holliday tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth with a home run and Edward Mujica worked around Schafer's solo shot in the bottom half for his 33rd save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Mike Shannon, a former Cardinals’ third baseman who has been a broadcaster for the team for more than 40 years, underwent heart surgery on Monday and is resting comfortably. Shannon played on three World Series teams for St. Louis during a nine-year career from 1962-1970 before moving to the booth in 1972. … Beltran’s home run traveled an estimated 449 feet, his longest of the season and furthest off a left-handed pitcher since a 451-foot shot off the Cincinnati Reds’ Eric Milton on July 18, 2006, while a member of the New York Mets. … Westbrook, who allowed five runs (four earned) and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings, is 0-4 with a 9.69 ERA during his five-game winless streak.