Cardinals 8, Dodgers 2: Adam Wainwright drove in two runs and pitched 7 1/3 strong innings as host St. Louis erupted for a six-run sixth to beat Los Angeles for the first time in nine tries.

Wainwright (8-10) doubled in a fifth-inning run with a shot that reached the left-field wall and drew a bases-loaded walk off Clayton Kershaw (7-6) in the Cardinals’ big sixth.

The Dodgers saw their five-game win streak snapped despite giving Kershaw, the reigning Cy Young winner, a 2-0 lead.

It was 2-2 in the sixth when Matt Holliday drew a leadoff walk and Carlos Beltran lined a hanging breaking ball down the left-field line for a double. David Freese grounded an RBI single up the middle. Kershaw walked Wainwright with the bases loaded, then failed to field Rafael Furcal’s grounder up the middle, allowing two runs to score. Allen Craig capped the scoring with a two-run double.

Juan Rivera had a ground-rule RBI double and Luis Cruz an RBI single for Los Angeles. Cruz, recalled earlier this month for injured shortstop Dee Gordon, has nine RBIs in his last seven games.

Trailing 2-0 in the fifth, the Cardinals rallied with two outs. After Daniel Descalso singled, Wainwright ripped an RBI double off the left-field wall, ending Kershaw’s scoreless innings streak against St. Louis at 19. Furcal followed with a run-scoring single.

The four-game series is even at one apiece.

GAME NOTEBOOK: In the third inning, Cardinas 1B Lance Berkman got hit by a pitch on the right knee – the same knee on which he had surgery in May. He tried to stay in the game, but left for a pinch-runner after running to second on Daniel Descalso’s single. … Beltran has 14 doubles this season. … Furcal’s sixth-inning bouncer wasn’t touched by Kershaw, so it was ruled a single, giving him three RBIs for the night. ... St. Louis turned three double plays. ... Kershaw's ERA shot up to 3.14 after he was tagged for eight runs in 5 2/3 innings.