Cards reach 99 victories

MILWAUKEE -- Larry Walker hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

The Cardinals, the National League Central division champions, improved to 32-13 in their last 45 games. They are 47-27 on the road this season.

On Thursday, St. Louis will try for its 100th win for the seventh time in franchise history. The Cardinals last achieved that mark in 1985, when they won 101 games en route to an NL East title and pennant.

Brady Clark had four hits and drove in both runs for Milwaukee, which has lost eight of nine and is 18-46 after the All-Star break.

Ben Sheets set a franchise record for strikeouts in a season when he fanned Albert Pujols in the fourth inning to pass Teddy Higuera, who struck out 240 in 1987. Sheets struck out eight, including the side in the sixth inning, giving him 245 for the season.

Woody Williams (11-7) gave up one run and seven hits in 5 1/3 shaky innings for his eighth victory in his last nine decisions. He walked two and had runners on base in five of his innings.

Jason Isringhausen gave up an RBI double to Clark in the ninth before finishing for his 44th save in 51 chances.

Sheets allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings to fall to 11-13 despite an ERA of 2.85. The Brewers have scored just 17 runs in Sheets' 13 losses this season. Sheets has lost four straight decisions to the Cardinals.

The Cardinals scored in the fourth to make it 1-0 on a single by Jim Edmonds and an RBI triple to Roger Cedeno, and added two in the fifth when Marlon Anderson singled with two outs and Walker hit Sheets' next pitch deep into the right-field stands for his 16th homer.

Walker has hit 10 home runs since being traded to St. Louis from the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 6.

Milwaukee pulled to 3-1 in the sixth. Geoff Jenkins led off with a ground-rule double to center and Clark followed with a run-scoring single.

The Brewers left the bases loaded in the third when Jenkins flied out to center. In the fourth, Clark lined a pitch to the gap in left-center but was thrown out by left-fielder Cedeno trying to stretch it into a double.

Noteworthy

• St. Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter, who left Saturday's game with a right biceps strain, has nerve irritation in his upper arm, team officials said. Carpenter was evaluated by team doctor George Paletta Wednesday in St. Louis, and an MRI of his neck, shoulder and upper arm were normal. Carpenter will be re-evaluated Saturday. RHP Dan Haren will start Thursday in Carpenter's place.