Cardinals pound Brewers, 10-2

Now tied for first in NL Central

MILWAUKEE — The St. Louis Cardinals hit Milwaukee Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson with six runs in the first three innings and defeated the Brewers 10-2 to tie Milwaukee atop the National League Central Division.

Nelson (1-1) was called up from Triple-A Nashville Thursday and made his second major league start of the season.

But the Cardinals jumped on him for three runs in the first on an RBI single by Jhonny Peralta and a single by Tony Cruz that drove in two more runs.

In the second, Kolton Wong hit a two-run homer and Cruz added an RBI double in the third.

Nelson was charged with eight runs, six earned, in four-and-two-thirds innings of work. He allowed eight hits and walked two, striking out five.

Lyle Overbay and Khris Davis drove in the Brewers only run with a double in the fifth and a single in the seventh off Adam Wainwright, but the Cardinals starter was nearly unhittable.

Wainwright (12-4) pitched seven innings allowing just five hits and no walks with four strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 1.83.