ATLANTA, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Colby Rasmus drove in the final four St. Louis runs Thursday and the Cardinals pounded out 15 hits in storming past Atlanta 11-4.
St. Louis climbed within five games of Cincinnati in the National League Central after the Reds fell earlier in the day to Colorado. The Braves slipped a full game behind idle Philadelphia in the NL East.
Atlanta scored three times in the first inning but the Cardinals promptly produced five runs in the second to take the lead for good. Pedro Feliz had a two-run single in the big inning and Skip Schumaker finished it off with a two-run homer.
The Cardinals owned a 7-3 advantage heading into the fifth, after which Rasmus dominated the offense. He hit a solo homer in the fifth, drove in two runs with a single in the sixth and had another home run in the ninth to run his season total to 21.
Adam Wainwright (18-10) benefited from the offensive surge, getting the win by giving up three runs over eight innings with seven strikeouts. Jair Jurrjens (7-5) suffered the loss, surrendering seven runs on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
