Ryan Theriot, who has taken a back seat and lost his starting shortstop job since the arrival of Rafael Furcal, hit a go-ahead double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to give the Cardinals an 11-6 win over the New York Mets Tuesday night. The Atlanta Braves won, so St. Louis stays 2.5 out in the wild card.
Theriot hit a pitch from Tim Byrdak into the gap in left-center to bring in Pujols and Lance Berkman, who both singled against Josh Stinson (0-2), for a 7-6 lead.
The Cardinals scored six times in the seventh to come back from an early 4-0 deficit after the Braves beat Florida 4-0.
Pujols went 4 for 5 to push his batting average to a season-high .304. It was the 36th four-hit game of his career and seventh of the season.
The Cardinals have won 11 of their last 13 games and have been doing it recently without Matt Holliday. Holliday has missed the last six games with an inflamed tendon on the middle finger of his right hand. He is hoping to play this weekend against Chicago.
