Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer and Quinn Priester pitched 5 1/3 effective innings as the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a three-game losing streak with an 8-2 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.

Priester (13-2) allowed two runs on five hits to extend his franchise record for winning decisions to 12 games over his past 20 outings, including 16 starts. He walked one and struck out five.

Yelich’s 28th homer, a two-run, 432-foot shot to center with two outs in the seventh off reliever Jorge Alcala, put the Brewers up 7-2.

Milwaukee (90-58), which owns the best record in the majors, maintained its 5 1/2 game lead in the National League Central over the Chicago Cubs, who defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4. St. Louis (72-76), which has lost four straight, dropped four games back of the final NL wild-card spot.

After retiring the first six hitters on ground-ball outs, Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (6-14) struggled with his command in the third, as Milwaukee scored four runs on three walks and one hit.

Jake Bauers and Caleb Durbin walked to open the frame, and Joey Ortiz reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Sal Frelick walked to force in the first run. Jackson Chourio’s sacrifice fly scored Durbin, with Ortiz also scoring on a throwing error by right fielder Jordan Walker. Brice Turang added a run-scoring fielder’s choice to make it 4-0.

The Brewers added a run in the fourth when Isaac Collins singled with one out and scored on Bauers’ double.

St. Louis pulled within 5-2 in the sixth. Ivan Herrera was hit by a pitch, and Alec Burleson tripled on a ball that was misplayed by Chourio in center. Lars Nootbaar greeted reliever Aaron Ashby with a one-out RBI single.

Pallante allowed five runs, four earned, on four hits in five innings, walking four without a strikeout.