Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer and Quinn Priester pitched 5 1/3 effective innings as the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a three-game losing streak with an 8-2 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.

Priester (13-2) allowed two runs on five hits to extend his franchise record for winning decisions to 12 games over his past 20 outings, including 16 starts. He walked one and struck out five.

Yelich's 28th homer, a two-run, 432-foot shot to center with two outs in the seventh off reliever Jorge Alcala, put the Brewers up 7-2.

Milwaukee (90-58), which owns the best record in the majors, maintained its 5 1/2 game lead in the National League Central over the Chicago Cubs, who defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4. St. Louis (72-76), which has lo

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