Nick Punto doubled home the winning run in the top of the ninth inning as St. Louis continued its September surge with a 6-4 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday evening.

Punto, who had entered the game at second base in the bottom of the eighth, drove a 1-1 pitch deep into center field to bring home pinch runner Tyler Greene as the Cardinals rebounded after squandering an early 3-0 deficit. The win was the sixth in the past seven games for the Cardinals, who remained 4 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL wild-card race after the Braves trounced Florida 7-1.

Jason Motte worked around a pair of hits in the bottom of the ninth inning to save it for Kyle McClellan (11-6), who had recorded the final out in the bottom of the eighth.

The Cards overcame an uncharacteristically sloppy game from Albert Pujols, who became the first St. Louis third baseman to commit three errors in a game since Todd Zeile in 1995. Pujols added some insurance in the ninth with a sacrifice fly.

Chris Carpenter, who signed a two-year contract extension earlier in the dya, worked seven innings for the Cardinals. He allowed four runs on 10 hits and helped his cause at the plate with a two-run single in the second inning.

Pittsburgh starter Jeff Karstens gave up four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out two. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer in defeat.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing an appeal after Pedro Ciriaco was called out at third on what would have been a sacrifice fly for Derrek Lee, who also hit a solo homer in the third for Pittsburgh.