Willy Adames tied the major league record with his 13th three-run homer of the season, going deep on his 29th birthday to lift the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers over the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 Monday for their sixth win in seven games.
Adames homered for the fifth consecutive game, matching the Brewers record shared by Jeromy Burnitz (1997) and Eric Thames (2017).
Rookie Jackson Chourio hit a grand slam and Rhys Hoskins also homered for the Brewers (81-57), who began Labor Day with a nine-game division lead.
Adames put the Brewers ahead 3-0 in the first with his 29th home run of the season, a drive off Andre Pallante (6-7).
St. Louis, which entered five games back for the final NL wild card, dropped back to .500 at 69-69.
Freddy Peralta (10-7) won his third consecutive decision, allowing three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He had pitched 11 scoreless innings over his previous two starts.
Pallante (6-7) gave up five runs, five hits and a season-high five walks in five innings.
Pedro Pagés hit a pair of solo home runs off Peralta, increasing his season home run total to five.
Hoskins hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Chourio hit his second slam of the season in the sixth off Riley O’Brien. The 20-year-old Chourio, who has 18 homers, walked a season-high three times.
Cardinals LHP Steven Matz (1-2, 6.18 ERA), who last appeared April 30, will take the mound Tuesday after completing his rehab from a back injury. Brewers RHP Aaron Civale (5-8, 4.59) has gone 3-2 cwith a 3.72 ERA in nine starts since being acquired from Tampa Bay on July 3.
