ST. LOUIS—Rick Ankiel slapped a two-run, two-out single to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a three-run rally and lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

The win brought the Cardinals (50-39) to within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Cubs (52-36) in the National League Central.

St. Louis rallied against Chicago closer Kerry Wood (4-2), who blew his fifth save of the season in 27 chances. Wood walked the first two batters in the ninth and gave up a run-scoring double to Adam Kennedy before Ankiel’s two-out hit won the game.

St. Louis reliever Kyle McClellan (1-3) picked up his first major league victory in relief.

Chicago infielder Aramis Ramirez broke a 2-2 tie by hitting a 2-0 pitch from reliever Ryan Franklin over the wall in left-center field for his 15th homer of the season in front of 46,865 fans, a new record for the three-year-old Busch Stadium.

The Cubs jumped to a 1-0 lead in the third on Mark DeRosa’s 11th home run. Ryan Theriot singled in DeRosa in the fifth to push the advantage to 2-0.

St. Louis rallied to tie the game in the sixth against starter Ted Lilly. Ankiel led off the inning with his 18th homer. He hit a 1-2 pitch over the wall in right-center. The home run pushed Ankiel into a tie with Albert Pujols for the team lead in home runs.

Pujols followed Ankiel’s blast with a double into left-center. One out later, Ryan Ludwick hit a double down the line in left to score Pujols.

Lilly, who was unbeaten in his five previous starts, allowed just two runs in six innings. He has given up just six runs in his last four road starts.

St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse gave up two runs in seven innings. He struck out six and walked two. Derrek Lee had three of the Cubs’ nine hits. He began the eighth inning rally with a leadoff double. Lee has 10 hits in his last 20 at-bats.

Ankiel had three hits and three RBI’s and Pujols had two hits. Cardinals’ catcher Yadier Molina kept his 12-game hitting streak alive with a sixth-inning infield single.



Astros 6, Braves 1

ATLANTA—Cecil Cooper had to admit his lineup against Atlanta looked different, but the Astros manager correctly predicted the new look would be effective.

Mark Loretta had three doubles and drove in four runs, and with Ty Wigginton batting leadoff the Astros scored four times in the first two inning on their way to a win.

Cooper started Reggie Abercrombie in place of center fielder Michael Bourn, but the manager said “I like my chances” as he eyed his first two hitters’ success against left-handers.

Wigginton (.456 on-base percentage against lefties) walked and scored in a two-run second inning against Braves left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes, helping Houston snap a four-game losing streak.



Brewers 2, Pirates 1

MILWAUKEE—Prince Fielder singled in Rickie Weeks with one out in the bottom of the ninth and Milwaukee Brewers beat Pittsburgh night for its second straight win.

Pirates reliever Tyler Yates (3-2) was in trouble from the start, walking Weeks to lead off the inning. J.J. Hardy’s sacrifice bunt ended his 16-game hitting streak but put the winning run in scoring position and Yates intentionally walked Ryan Braun to bring up Fielder.

Fielder drove Yates’ fastball to left-center field to lift Milwaukee to its 14th win at home in the past 17. Brewers reliever Eric Gagne (2-2) got the win by working around a one-out single to Jason Bay in the ninth.



Mets 9, Phillies 4

PHILADELPHIA—Pinch-hitter Brian Schneider lined a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the New York Mets rallied against the majors’ best bullpen, beating Philadelphia and ending the Phillies’ four-game winning streak.

Schneider’s two-run double came with two outs. He was the Mets’ third pinch-hitter of the inning as they overcame a 4-3 deficit.



Reds 3, Nationals 2

CINCINNATI—Brandon Phillips singled in Jerry Hairston Jr. from second base in the ninth inning, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a win over the Washington Nationals.

Hairston led off the ninth with his third hit of the game, a single off of Joel Hanrahan (5-3). Hairston stole second, but Jay Bruce struck out and Ken Griffey Jr. was intentionally walked.

Luis Ayala came in to face Phillips, who grounded a single through the hole into left field. Hairston beat Willie Harris’s throw home to give Cincinnati its ninth walkoff win of the season.

In the top of the inning, Francisco Cordero (4-1) blew his fourth save of the season, allowing a sacrifice fly by Jesus Flores.

Cincinnati’s Josh Fogg was activated from the disabled list before the game and made his first start since May 31. Fogg, who was sidelined with back problems, allowed one run and six hits in six innings.

Fogg started in place of Aaron Harang, whose next start was pushed back until Tuesday against the Cubs at Chicago due to stiffness in a forearm muscle.

Florida starter Tim Redding also lasted six innings in his ninth consecutive no-decision. Redding gave up a run and eight hits.

Redding, whose last decision was Washington’s 4-0 win over Philadelphia on May 19, tied Shawn Chacon for the season’s longest string of no-decision starts. Chacon opened the season with nine in a row for Houston.

The last pitchers to have 10 consecutive no-decision starts are San Diego’s John D’Aquisto and Philadelphia’s Randy Lerch, both in 1977.

Redding helped himself in the second inning, giving Washington a 1-0 lead with a two-out bloop single to left-center field that drove in Austin Kearns from second base.

The Reds tied the game in the fifth on Phillips’ sacrifice fly to deep right field.

Paul Bako, who had two hits in his previous 21 at-bats, drove in Joey Votto from third base with a two-out single in the eighth inning to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.