Alec Burleson drives in 3 as Cardinals beat Phillies 7-1 to win series

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alec Burleson contributed three runs, including a two-run double during the Cardinals' four-run fifth inning against Zack Wheeler, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Wednesday's series. Burleson went 5 for 10 with two doubles and five RBIs in the series, propelling the Cardinals to a 2-1 win over the Phillies and moving their record to 61-60, just over .500.

Both teams are vying for an NL wild-card playoff position. St. Louis claimed its third consecutive series win, a first-time achievement this season. Kyle Leahy (9-4) pitched five innings, giving up one run on six hits and no walks, striking out six. In the decisive fifth inning, St. Louis' César Prieto broke through with a single and later scored on Herrera's single, while Burleson drove in two runs and added an RBI single in the seventh.

The Cardinals took an early lead in the second after Alex Bohm's error on Walker's ground ball, with Walker and Bryce Harper contributing additional runs for Philadelphia. The Phillies will compete against Minnesota in the Field of Dreams game on Thursday night, whereas the Cardinals open their series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday.