Braves, Cardinals all square

HOUSTON -- The St. Louis Cardinals are tied with Atlanta for the NL wild-card lead, getting a tiebreaking two-run triple from Ryan Theriot in the seventh inning of a 13-6 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

The sliding Braves lost 7-1 to Philadelphia, sending the race for the NL's final playoff spot to the final day of the regular season. If the teams are tied after today's game, St. Louis will host a one-game playoff Thursday night.

The Cardinals trailed 5-0 early and appeared to be headed for a second consecutive loss to the Astros. But St. Louis scored five times in the fourth and erased a 6-5 deficit with a four-run seventh.

Lance Berkman hit a two-out single and scored on Allen Craig's tying double. Craig entered the game in the third inning when Matt Holliday departed with discomfort in his right hand.

Yadier Molina walked before pinch-hitter Theriot delivered his clutch triple to make it 8-6.

Cardinals pinch-hitter Ryan Theriot is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the seventh inning Tuesday in Houston. (DAVID PHILLIP ~ Associated Press)

Nick Punto, who had four hits, doubled in Theriot in the seventh and had a solo homer in the ninth. Craig padded the lead with a three-run homer to the Crawford Boxes in left field in the eighth.

Eduardo Sanchez (3-1) struck out two over 1 1/3 innings for the win in a game that included seven Cardinals relievers following an early exit by Jake Westbrook.

Skip Schumaker drove in three runs in the fourth, and Berkman had three hits and scored three times. The crowd booed loudly when Berkman, the longtime Astros star, scored the tying run in the seventh.

The Astros jumped on Westbrook for seven hits and five runs over 2 1/3 innings to take the early lead.

Enerio Del Rosario (0-3) yielded two hits and three runs for the loss.

Brian Bogusevic singled to start the Astros' fifth before consecutive walks loaded the bases. Bogusevic scored when Jimmy Paredes grounded into a double play, giving Houston a 6-5 lead.

David Freese walked to start the big fourth inning by St. Louis. Berkman singled with one out, and the runners advanced on a wild pitch by Henry Sosa.

Craig then walked before Molina singled in a run, and Schumaker cleared the bases with a double to center, chasing Sosa. David Carpenter came in and allowed Jon Jay's tying sacrifice fly later in the inning.

The Astros scored four times in the third. Brett Wallace had a two-run single, and Jimmy Paredes added a two-run triple that rolled up on the corner of Tal's Hill in center field.

Noteworthy

* Holliday returned to the Cardinals on Saturday after missing nine games with a tendon injury on his right middle finger. He is listed as day to day.

* Cardinals SS Rafael Furcal, who left Monday's game in the fifth inning with tightness in his left hamstring, was held out. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Furcal would not return for today's game, but he wasn't sure about his availability if the Cardinals play past that game.

* Houston closer Mark Melancon and his wife, Mary Catherine, had a girl named Brooklyn Marie on Tuesday.

* Chris Carpenter pitches for the Cardinals against Brett Myers in the regular-season finale today. Myers has won four consecutive games and has a 1.24 ERA over his last five starts. Carpenter is 7-5 in his career against the Astros, but hasn't won in Houston since 2005.