Brewers starting pitcher Matt Garza surrenders a season-high nine hits and seven runs (four earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

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St. Louis — That malaise that had apparently enveloped the St. Louis Cardinals over the last month at Busch Stadium?

The Milwaukee Brewers saw absolutely no sign of it Friday night.

Struggling as they usually do at this venue, they fell victim to a five-run fourth inning keyed by Matt Garza's throwing error and never recovered in a 7-1 loss.

The Brewers dropped to 2-5 this season against the Cardinals, who came into the game in the midst of a seven-game home losing streak — their longest since 1983 — and on the heels of their first losing month (13-14) since July 2012.

"We haven't played well against this team," said manager Craig Counsell, whose Brewers are 18-31 at Busch Stadium since 2010 and 1-3 this season.

"Lately it's felt like in a couple series they've swung the bats really well and scored a bunch of runs against us. Tonight was a little bit of both. We didn't get anything going offensively and gave up too many runs.

"But I don't have any explanation for it. We just haven't played well."

Garza, making his fourth start since being reinstated from the disabled list, was hit hard. In 52/3 innings, he surrendered a season-high nine hits, seven runs (four earned) and three walks while striking out six.

His counterpart, left-hander Jaime Garcia, continued to baffle the Brewers. Other than a second-inning home run surrendered to Chris Carter, Garcia was mostly untouchable as he allowed just one hit — a seventh-inning single to Jake Elmore — from the third through the eighth.

Garcia (6-6) allowed four hits and four walks to go along with six strikeouts as he upped his career record to 11-5 against Milwaukee. He was a ground-ball machine, with shortstop Aledmys Diaz accounting for 11 assists himself.

"Last time out we did a good job of getting him early and catching him before he got into a rhythm," Counsell said of Garcia. "Today just lots of ground balls, really. That's what he's good at."

The Brewers knocked Garcia out after five innings of a 3-1 victory June 1 at Miller Park. But the previous meeting, Garcia fired a complete-game, one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts April 14 at Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals jumped on Garza quickly, as Matt Carpenter opened with an infield single and came in to score one batter later on Diaz's double to left.

The Brewers got the run back in the second when Carter homered to straightaway center off Garcia on the first pitch.

The game remained tied until the fourth, when St. Louis put it out of reach.

Jhonny Peralta started things off with a single, and Matt Adams followed with a sharp chopper back to the mound. Garza knocked it down, but his underhanded throw to first sailed wide left, allowing Adams to reach on the error.

"I just rushed it and I pulled it," Garza said of his toss. "I wasn't balanced at all. I just wanted to make the perfect play instead of just making the play."

Yadier Molina singled to center to score Peralta, making it 2-1. Garza walked Tommy Pham to load the bases, and Garcia followed with a single to left to score Adams. Matt Carpenter's single upped the Cardinals' lead to 4-1, and it was lights out after Matt Holliday singled in the final two runs.

"If I make my play it's two outs and it probably would have ended right there," Garza said. "I don't make that play and they get more confidence in the box and get more comfortable. I put pressure on myself and on the team to pick me up.

"I've just got to get better."

Garza, who's dealt with the fielding yips for much of his career, was asked what he does to try and improve in that area of his game.

"I (do fielding practice) practically every day," he said. "I do the throwing stuff, picks, all that stuff. I've just got to find out what goes on from practice to the game. I'm just disappointed in myself.

"I put in all the time and for something like that to ruin a start where I was throwing the ball well, it puts a burden on my team and I need to get better at it."