ST. LOUIS -- Garrett Stephenson allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings and
Albert Pujols had three RBI as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the
Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.

The NL Central champion Cardinals swept their opening series for the
second time in four seasons. St. Louis has swept the Brewers, a
franchise-worst 56-106 last year, three times since the start of
2002.

Scott Rolen had a two-run single, and Pujols and Edgar Renteria
homered for the Cardinals, who outscored Milwaukee 24-13 in the
series.

Royce Clayton hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Cal Eldred,
Clayton's second three-run homer of the series. Steve Kline got two
outs for his second save.

The Brewers head into their home opener Friday against San Francisco
seeking their first win under new manager Ned Yost.

Stephenson (1-0), who missed most of the last two seasons with elbow
and hamstring injuries, allowed four hits.

Milwaukee put on two runners in each of the first two innings but
managed only one in the next four. Eddie Perez, who had three hits,
chased Stephenson with a home run in the seventh.

The Cardinals were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the
first four innings against Matt Kinney (0-1) before breaking through.
Pujols, the NL MVP runnerup last year, hit a two-run homer with one
out in the fifth to put St. Louis ahead.

Pujols' RBI double and Scott Rolen's two-run single off Curtis
Leskanic made it 5-0 in the sixth.

Kinney gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He was 0-3
with a 6.39 ERA in spring training.

Notes: The Cardinals' best winning streak to start a season was 7-0
in 1962. ... St. Louis was 12-14 last April, and lost two of three in
its opening series against Colorado. ... Milwaukee started last year
2-9. ... Perez has two homers in the first three games after going
without a long ball since 1999. ... Orlando Palmeiro is 5-for-11
against Kinney. ... The Cardinals are 10-3 against the Brewers during
the last two seasons.