The Cardinals ended their first sub-.500 trip of the season at 3-5 with Monday night's lopsided loss to Milwaukee.

After they had won the first two games of the eight-game swing to Colorado and Milwaukee, the Cardinals lost five of their last six and, even the appearance of right-hander Adam Wainwright couldn't stabilize matters. Wainwright was no different than righty Braden Looper the day before. He served up two solo homers to left fielder Ryan Braun. Third baseman Bill Hall also hit one.

"I had decent stuff. I just wasn't locating," said Wainwright. "Sometimes you get away with mistakes. Sometimes you don't."

One of Wainwright's biggest mistakes was in tossing a leadoff double to Milwaukee right-hander Dave Bush to start the third. It became a five-run inning, capped by a two-base error by second baseman Adam Kennedy, who muffed a one-handed grab on a popup in short right. He desperately tried to get a handle on the ball, which wound up bouncing into the stands for a rare, ground-rule error.

Center fielder Rick Ankiel homered in the first to give the Cardinals the lead. But, before it was over, they had lost not only the game but catcher Yadier Molina and manager Tony La Russa, who were ejected by home-plate umpire Paul Schrieber in the fifth inning.

Molina might even be docked for a game or two after he deposited his equipment all around Schrieber at the home-plate area before leaving for the dugout.

BREWERS 8, CARDINALS 3: Right-hander Adam Wainwright had given up only one earned run over his last 13 1/3 innings in two games and was deprived of a decision in both. But he gained a decision Monday night, the wrong kind, as he gave up eight runs in six innings, including three homers, two by left fielder Ryan Braun and one by third baseman Bill Hall.

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