Parra, Fielder lead Brewers past Cardinals 8-2

[May 18, 2009]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Prince Fielder hit his fourth homer in the last five games to help the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 on Sunday.

Manny Parra (3-4) won his third straight start and the Brewers got two-run singles from J.J. Hardy and Jason Kendall to win their fifth in a row and 11th in 13 games. They're 12-5 against the Cardinals the last two seasons.

Fielder has four homers and 10 RBIs the last five games.

St. Louis, minus injured sluggers Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel, snapped a 14-inning scoreless slump against Milwaukee pitching in the sixth on Nick Stavinoha's RBI single and a run-scoring groundout by Colby Rasmus. The Cardinals have lost six of eight.

Parra worked around his fourth four-walk game of the season to go with five hits, allowing two runs in his fourth straight six-inning stint. The Cardinals stranded two in the first, second and sixth against Parra, who has walked 26 in 43 1-3 innings.

Todd Wellemeyer (3-4) walked seven, two more than his previous career worst. He walked Parra, an .077 hitter, to start the fourth, and hit J.J. Hardy and Parra in the sixth.

Despite those woes, Wellemeyer didn't allow a hit his last 4 2-3 innings after the Brewers batted around in a the first while extending him for 41 pitches. He retired the side in order in the third, fourth and fifth with the help of two double plays.

Hardy's bases-loaded, two-run single opened the scoring on Wellemeyer's 30th pitch of the first, and Kendall's two-run single later in the inning also came with the bases loaded. Kendall also singled in the eighth and is one away from 2,000 career hits.

The first two Brewers reached in the eighth against right-hander Blaine Boyer before Fielder hit his ninth homer over the right-field wall for a five-run cushion.

Notes: Wellemeyer is 0-3 with a 5.97 ERA in 11 career appearances against the Brewers, four of them starts. They're the only NL Central team he hasn't beaten. ... Lou Brock replica statue day attracted near-sellout attendance 43,042. ... Brewers 2B Rickie Weeks departed with a sore left wrist after striking out to open the game. ... Parra evened his career record at 13-13. The Brewers are 3-5 in his starts this season. ... Ryan Braun is 7-for-10 against Wellemeyer. ... The Brewers are 7-0-2 in their last nine series after losing the first four. ... Khalil Greene is in a 2-for-22 slump after going 0 for 4.

[Associated Press; By R.B. FALLSTROM]

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