Mark Grudzielanek should get Victor Santos something really nice for Christmas after everything Santos has done for him. Grudzielanek, who has a lifetime batting average of .565 against Santos, drove in three runs off the Brewers’ starter in an 8-4 win for the Cardinals.

After Geoff Jenkins gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead with a two-run double off Matt Morris in the first inning, Grudzielanek got to Santos with a solo home run—his seventh of the season.

In the fourth inning, Grudzielanek gave St. Louis the lead with an RBI double which scored Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds to make it 3-2. Later in the inning So Taguchi singled in Grudzielanek and the Cardinals led 4-2. Santos finished out the inning, but didn’t return.

However, Santos didn’t get stuck with the loss. That went to reliever Matt Wise (4-4), who gave up two runs in the eighth inning after Milwaukee tied it 4-4. The Brewers rallied in the fifth inning to tie it up 4-4, thanks to RBI singles from Carlos Lee and Wes Helms.

It remained tied until the eighth inning, when Abraham Nunez singled in Grudzielanek. So Taguchi hit a ground-rule double to drive in Nunez and St. Louis led 6-4.

Grudzielanek struck for the last time in the ninth with a two-run single, scoring David Eckstein and Pujols. Grudzielanek finished 3-for-5 with 5 RBI’s and three runs.

Cardinal starter Matt Morris lasted six innings and was charged with two runs off six hits, three walks and four strikeouts, but wasn’t a part of the decision. Randy Flores, who pitched a perfect seventh inning improved to 2-1.