Cardinals rally past Mets

ST. LOUIS -- Pinch-hitter Ryan Theriot hit a a go-ahead double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to help the St. Louis Cardinals rally to beat the New York Mets 11-6 on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals' 11th win in 13 games kept them 2 1/2 behind Atlanta in the wild card chase.

The Cardinals scored six times in the seventh to come back from an early 4-0 deficit after the Braves beat Florida 4-0.

Albert 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.

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.

Pinch-hitter Adron Chambers followed an intentional walk to Yadier Molina with a three-run triple, and Nick Punto added an RBI single.

Octavio Dotel (4-3) came on and struck out David Wright to end the top of the seventh.

The Mets tied a season high by walking nine times. One of those was by Angel Pagan in the top of the seventh and gave New York a 5-4 lead.

New York has lost 10 of its last 13 games and tied a season-low at eight games under. 500.

New York shortstop Jose Reyes had one hit in four at-bats. He is hitting .330 in an attempt to become the first Mets hitter to win a batting title. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, who went 1 for 5 on Tuesday, tops the NL at .332.

Berkman had two hits for St. Louis, including a two-run single in the fifth that tied the game at 4-4.

The Mets scored three times in the third inning on a groundout by Wright, a fielder's choice by Willie Harris and an RBI single by Josh Thole. Lucas Duda hit an RBI double in the first.

Rafael Furcal and David Freese hit RBI doubles in the bottom half around a groundout by Pujols that scored a run to cut the Mets' lead to 4-3.

Noteworthy

* St. Louis INF Skip Schumaker is in an 0 for 15 slump.

* Duda is hitting .322 (66 of 205) since the All-Star break.

* St. Louis has won six of its last seven series.

* Cardinals OF Matt Holliday 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.