Matt Carpenter had four hits and scored the winning run in the 12th inning on a single to center by Matt Holliday as the Cardinals won their second extra-inning game over the NL Central leading Pittsburgh Pirates with a 6-5 win on Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals cut the Pirates lead to two while holding a six game lead over Arizona for one of the wild card spots.
Carpenter sparked the winning rally with a one-out walk. He went to third on Jon Jay’s single before Holliday grounded a single up the middle off Bryan Morris (5-6). Â Carpenter, the Cardinals’ leadoff man, leads the National League with 48 multihit games and 40 doubles. He entered with league-leading averages of .366 at home and .367 in day games. Â Holliday also had an RBI double and is batting .452 during a 12-game hitting streak.
Russell Martin and Clint Barmes homered for Pittsburgh, which blew a 4-0 lead.  After scoring four off a Lance Lynn, the Cardinals turned around and dropped a five-spot on Bucs’ starter A.J. Burnett with  a two-run single by Daniel Descalso and RBIs in consecutive at-bats from Carpenter, Jay and Holliday.