Adames goes deep on 29th birthday, 13th 3-run homer leads Brewers over Cardinals 9-3

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Willy Adames tied the major league record with his 13th three-run homer of the season, going deep on his 29th birthday to lift the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers over the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 Monday for their sixth win in seven games.

Adames homered for the fifth consecutive game, matching the Brewers record shared by Jeromy Burnitz (1997) and Eric Thames (2017).

“For the first time in my career, I got a little emotional,” Adames said. "It’s something that I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. Just doing incredible things like that.”

Adames’ 13 three-run homers equaled Ken Griffey Jr. in 1996.

“It’s an honor, just to be right next to a legend and an icon like him,” Adames said. "Seeing that reality today is just incredible.”

Adames is hitting .255 with a career-high 99 RBIs, one more than in 2022.

“It's almost shocking when he comes to the plate and doesn’t hit a home run with two guys on at this point,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said.

Rookie Jackson Chourio hit a grand slam and Rhys Hoskins also homered for the Brewers (81-57), who began Labor Day with a nine-game division lead.

Adames put the Brewers ahead 3-0 in the first with his 29th home run of the season, a drive off Andre Pallante (6-7).

St. Louis, which entered five games back for the final NL wild card, dropped back to .500 at 69-69.

Freddy Peralta (10-7) won his third consecutive decision, allowing three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He had pitched 11 scoreless innings over his previous two starts.

“It probably could have been better but it was good enough," Peralta said.

Bryan Hudson and Joe Ross followed with hitless relief.

Pallante (6-7) gave up five runs, five hits and a season-high five walks in five innings.

“Everyone’s allowed an outing that doesn’t go their way," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "This guy has been really good over the last stretch. Walks and homers got him.”

Pedro Pagés hit a pair of solo home runs off Peralta, increasing his season home run total to five.

Hoskins hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Chourio hit his second slam of the season in the sixth off Riley O’Brien. The 20-year-old Chourio, who has 18 homers, walked a season-high three times.

Adames said Chourio called the grand slam in dugout earlier in the inning.

“There was nobody on yet and he said I’ve got to get ready because I’m about to hit a grand slam,” Adames said. “He made it happen. I was like 'Oh my God, he really did it.' In spring training, everybody was hyping him up and now we’re seeing what he really is, a superstar."

Chourio said he was “kind of messing around more than anything,” when he predicted his slam.

“Luckily that swing went our way,” he said. “All I was doing was looking for a good pitch.”

Milwaukee hit a two-run homer, three-run homer and grand slam in the same game for the first time since July 1, 2022.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Michael Siani, who was activated Sunday and joined the team in Milwaukee after missing nearly a month with a strained right oblique, started in center field and was 0 for 3 with a walk.

UP NEXT

Cardinals LHP Steven Matz (1-2, 6.18 ERA), who last appeared April 30, will take the mound Tuesday after completing his rehab from a back injury. Brewers RHP Aaron Civale (5-8, 4.59) has gone 3-2 cwith a 3.72 ERA in nine starts since being acquired from Tampa Bay on July 3.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés (43) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés (43) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan (33) is tagged out by Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio rounds the bases during his grand slam home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio hits a grand slam home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio rounds the bases during his grand slam home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio hits a grand slam home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio rounds the bases during his grand slam home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio (11) douses Willy Adames, left, after a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers Willy Adames (27) reacts rounding the bases after his three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers Willy Adames (27) reacts with Jackson Chourio(11) after his three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers Willy Adames (27) watches his three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames, right, is doused after a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — England and English soccer teams could be removed from UEFA competitions if a new regulator is considered to be “Government interference” in the sport.

In a letter sent by UEFA to the U.K.'s new culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, European soccer's governing body raised concerns about a proposed independent football regulator (IFR) in English soccer. The regulatory will ensure the financial sustainability of clubs and stop teams from joining breakaway competitions like the European Super League.

UEFA regulations state there should be no government interference in the running of soccer.

“We have specific rules that guard against this in order to guarantee the autonomy of sport and fairness of sporting competition; the ultimate sanction for which would be excluding the federation from UEFA and teams from competition,” UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis wrote in his letter, which has been seen by The Associated Press.

England, which has been runner-up in the last two European Championships, is co-hosting the 2028 edition of the tournament.

If UEFA imposed its ultimate sanction of excluding the English Football Association, the England team would be barred from competing in the Euros. It could also mean Premier League clubs being barred from the Champions League and other competitions.

The U.K. government’s Football Governance Bill would give an independent regulator powersto safeguard the future of clubs. It includes strengthened tests over who can run or own clubs.

In its letter, UEFA said “normally football regulation should be managed by the national federation.”

It said it was concerned by what it described as “scope creep” by a regulator into areas beyond “the long-term financial sustainability of clubs and heritage assets.”

UEFA said if all countries established regulators with wide-reaching powers it would hinder its ability to maintain effective governance across Europe. It wants England's regulator to be “strictly limited” to the long-term financial sustainability of clubs and heritage assets.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - The UEFA Euro trophy is pictured after Britain and Ireland were elected to host the Euro 2028 football tournament during the the UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 hosts announcement ceremony after the UEFA Executive Committee, at UEFA Headquarters, in Nyon, Switzerland, Oct. 10, 2023. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP, File)