MILWAUKEE -- Jedd Gyorko's 10th home run of August not only staked Adam Wainwright to a 1-0, sixth-inning lead over the Brewers on Tuesday, but it also put the 2016 club in the franchise record books.
Gyorko's solo shot off Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta extended the Cardinals' home run streak to 19 games, matching a franchise record set from July 1-23, 2006. It's also the longest active home run streak in baseball.
"These close games," Gyorko said, "every swing matters."
The Cardinals have belted 39 home runs during this streak, which began with a two-homer game against the Reds on Aug. 9. Eleven different Cardinals have homered during the stretch, and the Cardinals have enjoyed multi-homer games 13 times.
Since the start of the streak, Gyorko leads the group with nine long balls, four of which he's hit in the last six games. With Tuesday's blast, Gyorko also becomes the eighth player in franchise history to hit 10 homers in the month of August. He's two off that franchise record, first set by Whitey Kurowski in 1947 and since matched by Mark McGwire (1999) and Albert Pujols (2004).
"I feel good with where I'm at right now," Gyorko said. "When I get a good pitch to hit, I feel like I'm not missing it very often right now. You hope the good stretches last longer than the bad ones. You just ride it out."
The Cardinals, who have homered in 20 consecutive games at Miller Park, have already established a franchise record with 45 August home runs. They also continue to pace the National League with 188 homers on the season. The team is 47 homers shy of its all-time season record of 235, reached in 2000.