Brewers pour it on; Cardinals sputter

Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart each hit a 3-run homer, and the host Milwaukee Brewers connected five times in all to beat the Houston Astros 14-2 on Wednesday night.

Yovani Gallardo (7-4) pitched 7 shutout innings and Milwaukee won for the fifth time in six games to stay a half-game behind the first-place Cubs in the NL Central.

The Brewers have had trouble holding leads this year, but this one was never in doubt as they set a season high for runs. Fielder hit his NL-leading 41st homer in the first inning, Braun hit his 28th in the second and Hart hit his 20th in the fourth.

Geoff Jenkins followed Hart's homer with his 20th to make it 11-0, and Bill Hall hit his 13th in the sixth. Milwaukee leads the major leagues with 192 home runs.

Houston starter Matt Albers (4-7) lasted only 3 innings, giving up 7 runs and 6 hits with 3 walks. Albers and reliever Felipe Paulino combined to walk five batters in the first four innings, and all of them scored.

The Brewers have the second-worst road record in the NL at 26-42 and play 13 of their next 16 away from Miller Park after an off day Thursday.

With the big lead, Milwaukee manager Ned Yost pulled Fielder, Braun, Hart and J.J. Hardy midway through the game.

Gallardo allowed 6 hits and 2 walks, but induced three double plays to keep Houston off the scoreboard. The right-hander struck out five to win his second consecutive start.

Pirates 8, Cardinals 2: Mark Mulder was no savior in his first outing in more than a year, roughed up by Pittsburgh as the visiting Pirates won 8-2.

The left-hander who won 16 games in 2005 but was 6-7 with a 7.14 ERA in an injury-plagued 2006 lasted 4 innings and gave up 6 runs on 8 hits. The Cardinals had hoped he'd fortify the rotation in the final month, but instead dropped 2 games behind the first-place Cubs in the NL Central and also failed in a chance to go two games above .500 for the first time all season.

Ronny Paulino was 2-for-4 with a 3-run homer, Jack Wilson was 3-for-4 with a 3-run double and Adam LaRoche was 2-for-4 with a homer for the Pirates, who won for only the second time in eight games. Tony Armas (3-5) worked 6 innings and limited St. Louis to 2 runs and 5 hits.

Rick Ankiel hit a 2-run homer for the Cardinals, his seventh in 75 at-bats. It gave him 22 RBIs in 22 games since the former pitcher returned to the major leagues as an outfielder on Aug. 9.