ST. LOUIS -- Wednesday’s performance by Brad Keller was much closer to that of the ace the Royals thought they had in the right-hander.

Keller turned in his best outing since April 12, when he held the Indians to one run over 6 2/3 innings. That game also happened to be his last win before Wednesday’s 8-2 triumph over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium in the first game of a doubleheader.

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Keller went seven-plus innings and gave up just two hits and two runs. Keller still struggled at times with his command -- he walked four and hit two batters -- and he holds the team-high mark in walks with 41 in 65 innings.

“It was a little bit more [like him],” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Still had the four walks and two hit batters, but covered it great. He didn’t let anything fester into more trouble. Just made good pitches after that. Really managed his pitch count well. Really had good stuff, really good two-seamer.”

Keller ended the day with 105 pitches, throwing 64 for strikes.

“I definitely felt a lot of better,” Keller said. “I got ahead of guys, and it definitely helped when the offense put up a six-spot [in the third]. I was just trying to go after them.

“I walked the first guy of the game. I”m still trying to get some [mechanical] things straightened out in the wind-up, but working out of the stretch felt really good.”

Keller got into a groove after walking Dexter Fowler to lead off the fourth. He retired the next 10 batters he faced in order.

Keller gave up a walk and a single to begin the eighth, and that’s when Yost brought in right-hander Kevin McCarthy to close out the game.

“Any time you get in the eighth inning, especially in a doubleheader, that’s pretty huge,” Keller said. “Innings three through seven felt good. I’ve been struggling throwing strikes the last two times out. I had a few pitches sail on me a little bit, but I think I kept it together for the most part.”

All the offense Keller needed came during a six-run third inning highlighted by Jorge Soler’s three-run homer, his 11th this season.

Hunter Dozier also had two sacrifice flies in the game.