Cardinals 5, Mets 4: Joe Kelly pitched 6 2/3 solid innings and Matt Carpenter drove in a pair of runs as host St. Louis held on for its second win in its last seven games.

Skip Schumaker hit his first homer of the season, and Yadier Molina and Allen Craig had RBI singles for the Cardinals, who maintained their one-half game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League wild card race.

Kelly (5-6) allowed two runs and five hits, and also helped himself at the plate when he doubled to lead off the third and scored on Carpenter's deep sacrifice fly to center. With two outs and the bases empty in the third, St. Louis put together three straight singles, with Molina's one-hop drive off the left field wall knocking home Matt Holliday to make it 3-0.

Kelly Shoppach and Daniel Murphy hit two-run homers for the Mets, who lost for only the second time in their last nine games.

Jon Jay led off the first inning with a triple down the left field line and scored on Carpenter's groundout to second base. Schumaker's homer - into the Cardinals' bullpen in right field - came in the fourth.

Shoppach's blast over the Mets' bullpen in left came in the sixth inning. After Craig's RBI single in the seventh gave St. Louis a 5-2 lead, Murphy delivered in the eighth to make it a one-run game.

Jason Motte recorded the final two outs of the eighth inning with runners on first and second and worked the ninth for his 33rd save in 38 chances. Andres Torres led off the ninth with an apparent double, but was called out after the Cardinals appealed, and first base umpire David Rackley ruled he missed first base.

Collin McHugh (0-1) lost his second major league start. He allowed four runs and six hits in four innings as the Mets lost for only the second time in their last nine games.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cardinals OF Carlos Beltran, who is hitting .160 with 23 strikeouts and zero home runs in his last 20 games, did not play. He left Sunday's game in the eighth inning during a double-switch after banging his left knee on the ground while trying to catch a foul ball. The injury is not believed to be serious. ... McHugh struck out nine and allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings in his debut Aug. 23 against Colorado. ... Kelly's ERA is 3.54, but 2.38 in day games and 3.02 at home. ... The Mets fell to 5-2 on their nine-game road trip.