Jose Martinez hit a three-run homer to pace the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

 

Luke Weaver (4-6) allowed two runs, both in the first, on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out a season-high nine and walked two for his first victory since May 11.

 

Martinez's 11th homer capped a five-run fourth when St. Louis erased a 2-1 deficit. Dexter Fowler, who entered hitting .163, doubled twice and scored twice, and Harrison Bader reached four times, scoring twice for the Cardinals, who won the final two games of the series to salvage a split.

 

Fowler snapped an 0-for13 streak with a double to open the fourth and Bader walked. Both runners advanced on Kelton Wong's fly out to right. After Weaver struck out, Matt Carpenter lined a two-run single to center to put the Cards up 3-2.

 

Jhoulys Chacin (6-3) issued his fifth walk to Greg Garcia and Martinez then drove an 0-2 pitch over the wall in center to make it 6-2.

 

The Cardinals extended it to 8-2 in the fifth. Fowler again led off with a double and Bader followed with an RBI single. Wong singled Bader to third and Weaver laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt.

 

Chacin allowed a season-high eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking five. Chacin dropped to 0-7 with a 6.90 ERA in nine career appearances, including eight starts, against the Cardinals.

 

The Cardinals pushed across a run in the first when Carpenter walked, Garcia doubled and Marcell Ozuna lofted a one-out sacrifice fly to the wall in right-center.

 

Milwaukee answered with two runs in the bottom half. Christian Yelich tied it with his 10th home run, a one-out solo shot into the second deck in left. Ryan Braun followed with a double to right and scored on Hernan Perez's 

 

two-out single. Jonathan Villar doubled Perez to third, but Weaver escaped by retiring Erik Kratz on a hard-hit liner to right.

 

RHP John Gant (1-2, 4.39) opens the three-game series at home against Cleveland tonight.