John Lackey pitched seven scoreless innings on only 88 pitches, Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham combined for five hits and five runs scored from the top two spots in the lineup and the Cardinals earned a 6-3 win over the Brewers on Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep at Miller Park.
With the win, the Cardinals magic number reduced by two on Thursday.
Pham tripled, doubled and singled, driving in two runs and scoring twice and Carpenter got three hits, including a home run. He singled to open the game and scored when Pham followed with a triple.
Lackey reached 200 innings in a season for the sixth time, and the first since 2010. He scattered five hits and two walks while striking out eight. He has a 2.23 ERA in his last 17 starts.