The Cardinals’ season reached the halfway point with their 81st game Sunday. Finally, after four series sweeps on the road, they completed one at home.
It took 6 hours 3 minutes from the scheduled 1:15 start time to the finish. But the Cardinals wrapped up a three-game dusting of the Milwaukee Brewers, holding on desperately for a 9-8 win that was delayed 1 hour 20 minutes in starting and 55 minutes more in the seventh inning when hard rain resumed.
Stephen Piscotty’s grand slam, his 10th homer of the season, proved to be the decisive blow in the sixth as the Cardinals moved eight games behind the Cubs in the National League Central Division for the first time since May 25.