Matt Carpenter and Lane Thomas homered, Tommy Edman had three hits and the host St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 11-4 on Sunday to sweep the four-game series.

Carpenter finished with three hits and Dexter Fowler drove in three runs for the Cardinals, who have won seven of their last eight and increased their National League Central lead to 2 1/2 games over the Chicago Cubs.

Ryan Helsley (1-0) got the win with 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing an unearned run and one hit with four strikeouts.

Nolan Arenado homered and had three hits for the Rockies, who have lost six of their last seven.

After a quick first inning the Cardinals jumped on Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela (8-8) in the second. The Rockies led 2-0 on Yonder Alonso's RBI single in the first and Garrett Hampson's solo homer in the second before St. Louis grabbed control.

Marcell Ozuna led off with a triple but after he was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, Paul DeJong, who walked following Ozuna's triple, scored on Carpenter's single. One out later pitcher Michael Wacha's infield single loaded the bases.

Fowler walked to tie it up, Edman drove in two more with a double and Paul Goldschmidt singled to make it 6-2.

Carpenter made it 7-2 in the third inning with his 12th home run but Colorado got the run back on Arenado's homer in the fifth. It was his 33rd of the season and his 100th RBI. It is the fifth straight season Arenado has at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.

St. Louis padded its lead in the bottom of the inning when Carpenter walked, Harrison Bader singled and stole second before Fowler's bloop double to shallow left drove them both home and made it 9-3. Yadier Molina had an RBI single in the sixth and Thomas' fourth home run in the seventh made it 11-4.

The Rockies had scored in the top of the seventh when Arenado doubled and came home on an error.

--Field Level Media