Wainwright drives in four as Cards beat Rockies 10-5

Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals follows the flight of his broken-bat single to drive in two runs in the fifth inning of Tuesday night's game in Denver.
Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals follows the flight of his broken-bat single to drive in two runs in the fifth inning of Tuesday night's game in Denver.

DENVER - Adam Wainwright was shaky on the mound and shined at the plate with a career-high four RBI as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-5 on Tuesday night to move into a tie for the top NL wild card.

The free-swinging Wainwright lined a two-run double in the second inning and brought in two more with a bloop single in the fifth. Matt Adams and Jedd Gyorko homered to help the Cardinals pull even with the New York Mets, who lost at home to last-place Atlanta for the second straight night.

Wainwright (12-9) didn't have sharp command, yielding solo homers to Daniel Descalso, Charlie Blackmon and Gerardo Parra. The right-hander gave up four runs in 51/3 innings.

Jorge De La Rosa (8-9) struggled through what could be his final start in a Rockies uniform. The winningest pitcher in team history allowed eight runs - seven earned - in 42/3 innings. His contract expires after this season.

Wainwright became the second straight Cardinals pitcher to play a starring role at the plate. Carlos Martinez had a two-run double in a 5-3 win Monday.

Adams had a solo homer in the second and Gyorko added a two-run shot in the fourth - a 452-foot no-doubter to center. Gyorko has 27 homers this season.

DJ LeMahieu's average remained at .349 after he went 1-for-3 with a double. He holds a slight lead against Washington's Daniel Murphy in the NL batting race. Murphy is hitting .347.

Notes: Cardinals OF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) said of his return: "I will be ready as fast as I can. To put a date on it doesn't make sense." Holliday good-naturedly admitted he hasn't received a bill for breaking the glass at a burger joint behind the left-field seats during batting practice Monday. Then again, the restaurant - Helton Burger Shack - does bear the name of his good friend, longtime Rockies first baseman Todd Helton. Holliday's drive shattered the window pane protecting the prep area. "That was collateral damage," joked Holliday, who was with the Rockies from 2004-08. "Maybe now they will put in Plexiglas." Cardinals INF Matt Carpenter got the night off. Rockies third base coach Stu Cole was hit in the head by a ball that caromed off another during batting practice. He checked out OK after being taken to the hospital. The Rockies moved Eric Young over to coach third, and Vinny Castilla served as the first base coach. Wainwright has 133 wins and is one from tying Dizzy Dean for sixth on St. Louis' career list. Randal Grichuk had three hits, including two doubles, and scored four times. De La Rosa is 53-20 with a 4.31 ERA at Coors Field in 106 games with Colorado, including 99 starts. "He's the poster boy for showing that you can pitch in an offensive park here at altitude," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. The Cardinals will send RHP Luke Weaver (1-3, 3.21 ERA) to the mound in the series finale today. The Rockies counter with righty German Marquez (0-0), who will make his first major league start after three relief appearances. Marquez was acquired last January as part of the deal that sent OF Corey Dickerson to Tampa Bay.