Morris pitches Cards to 7th straight victory

The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE -- Matt Morris, activated from the disabled list before the game, allowed one run in five innings Tuesday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3.

Eduardo Perez hit a three-run homer and Scott Rolen had a solo shot for the Cardinals, who have won seven straight for the first time since a nine-game streak from Sept. 8-22 last year. St. Louis maintained a 5 1/2-game lead over second-place Houston in the NL Central.

Morris (16-7), who went on the disabled list Aug. 24 after straining his left hamstring the previous day against Philadelphia, allowed five hits, struck out three and walked one. He threw 74 pitches, 44 for strikes.

Milwaukee's only run off him came on Jim Rushford's RBI single in the second. The Brewers' 51-94 record is the worst in the National League and they went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, making them 3-for-32 in their last three games.

Wayne Franklin (1-0), making his first major league start, allowed six runs -- five earned -- and six hits in five-plus innings.

Perez leads the way

Perez homered in the fourth for a 3-1 lead, and St. Louis added a run later in the inning when Edgar Renteria stole second, took third when catcher Robert Machado's throw went wide and high into center field and came around when Jeffrey Hammonds' throw went past third for another error.

Mike Matheny hit a two-run single off Nelson Figueroa in the sixth for a 6-2 lead.

Milwaukee closed within three runs on shortstop Edgar Renteria's throwing error in the sixth, ending a 34 2-3 inning scoreless streak for the St. Louis bullpen.

Keith Ginter had an RBI double off Luther Hackman in the seventh. Miguel Cairo's squeeze bunt scored So Taguchi in the eighth and Rolen homered off Jose Cabrera in the ninth.

NOTE: Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, the former auxiliary bishop of St. Louis, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.