(AP) -- Pinch-hitter Ryan Theriot hit a a go-ahead double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and the St. Louis Cardinals came back to beat the New York Mets 11-6 Tuesday night.
The Cardinals' 11th win in 13 games kept them 2½ 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 and give the Cardinals their first lead of the night 7-6.
Rookie Randall Delgado pitched five innings for his first major-league win, and the Atlanta Braves put the brakes on their recent skid by beating the Florida Marlins 4-0 Tuesday night.
The Braves began the night leading St. Louis by 2½ games in the NL wild-card race after blowing a ninth-inning lead to lose Monday.
The margin was 10½ games on Aug. 25.
Delgado (1-1), making his sixth career start, pitched around five hits and lowered his ERA to 2.70. Cristhian Martinez and Anthony Vavaro both retired six consecutive batters to complete the 16th shutout for the Braves, which ties for third-most in the majors.
Freddie Freeman hit his 20th home run for the Braves, who won for only the seventh time in their past 19 games.
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