Brewers thwart Cards' second try at win No.1

ST. LOUIS -- The Milwaukee Brewers got home runs from newcomers Craig Counsell, Lyle Overbay and Chad Moeller on Tuesday night in a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Winning pitcher Doug Davis worked into the seventh inning and the Brewers battered St. Louis pitching for the second straight day. Milwaukee moved to 2-0 for the first time since 1995, when it won its first three games.

The Brewers, who were 68-94 last year and 3-13 against the Cardinals, also got a franchise-record-tying two triples from Geoff Jenkins to move two games above .500 for the first time since June 26, 2001.

Last year, the Brewers lost their first six, including a season-opening three-game sweep in St. Louis.

Dan Kolb worked the ninth for his second straight save, allowing an RBI infield single to pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson. But Kolb retired Edgar Renteria on a grounder with the bases loaded to end it.

Marquis hit hard

Cardinals starter Jason Marquis, acquired in an offseason trade with the Braves, struggled just as Matt Morris did in an 8-6 loss in the opener on Monday. Marquis lasted 5 1-3 innings, giving up six runs and eight hits, including all three homers.

Marquis, who spent most of last season in the minors, was the Cardinals' most effective starter in spring training with a 2-0 record and 2.18 ERA. In 20 1-3 spring innings, he allowed only one home run.

But three new Brewers took him deep. Counsell, Overbay and Moeller all arrived in the Richie Sexson trade with Arizona.

Mike Matheny hit a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly for the Cardinals, giving him four RBIs in two games. Renteria had two hits and his first homer.

Counsell connected in the first, and Overbay hit a two-run shot in the sixth after Jenkins got his second triple when left fielder Roger Cedeno missed on an attempted diving catch.

Moeller greeted Jason Simontacchi with a two-run drive later in the sixth to make it 7-3.

Junior Spivey, also acquired in the Sexson trade, had a run-scoring single and scored on Jenkins' first triple, to right field, in a two-run third. Jenkins is the second Brewer to hit two triples in a game since the team moved to the NL in 1998. Jose Valentin was the other, on Sept. 29, 1999, against Pittsburgh.