ST. LOUIS (AP) - Matt Carpenter had four hits and scored the winning run on Matt Holliday's single in the 12th inning, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 on Thursday for their second extra-inning triumph over the NL Central leaders in three days.
The Cardinals took two of three in the series to pull within two games of the sagging Pirates, who have dropped five of six. St. Louis won 4-3 in 14 innings in the series opener on Tuesday night.
Rookie Kevin Siegrist (1-1), St. Louis' seventh pitcher, struck out two in a perfect 12th against the heart of the order.
Russell Martin and Clint Barmes homered for Pittsburgh, which blew a 4-0 lead in one inning. Jose Tabata had three straight hits after entering as a pinch hitter.
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).
GIANTS 4, NATIONALS 3
WASHINGTON (AP) - Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, helping San Francisco get the win.
Down to his last strike, Sanchez connected off closer Rafael Soriano (2-3) on a full-count pitch. The drive landed just inside the right-field foul pole in the second deck.
Sergio Romo got three outs for his 29th save. Javier Lopez (2-2) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings of relief for the win.
The loss snapped Washington's five-game winning streak and spoiled Dan Haren's six-inning, one-run effort.
Ian Desmond doubled home two runs and Jayson Werth added two hits for the Nationals.
REDS 2, BREWERS 1
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Joey Votto hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and Tony Cingrani pitched solidly into the seventh, lifting Cincinnati over Milwaukee.
Cingrani (6-2) allowed only a second-inning home run to Khris Davis. Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 30th save in 34 chances.
The Reds have won five straight and 10 of 13. Their starters are 4-1 with a 1.35 ERA in the last seven games.
Votto's homer was the only earned run allowed by Kyle Lohse (8-8) in seven innings. The right-hander also allowed an unearned run on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in seven innings.
METS 4, PADRES 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Marlon Byrd lined a two-out double over a hesitant right-fielder Chris Denorfia's head in the eighth inning, Mets outfielders saved two runs with outstanding plays and New York snapped a three-game skid by beating San Diego.
Zack Wheeler struck out a career-high 12 for New York. Eric Young Jr. saved a homer by leaping above the wall and knocking the ball back onto the field in the third inning. Center fielder Juan Lagares then threw out a runner at home plate in the fifth.
Byrd doubled off reliever Luke Gregerson (5-7), who had intentionally walked the left-handed hitting Daniel Murphy to pitch to the righty Byrd. Denorfia made his first step in on Byrd's hard-hit ball. He then hesitated and never recovered as the ball sailed over his head.
Scott Atchison (3-1) got the victory by pitching a scoreless seventh inning.