ST. LOUIS, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad was the first of six straight Atlanta batters to reach base during a six-run sixth Friday, lifting the Braves past St. Louis 8-6.
Atlanta used the big inning to overcome a 4-2 deficit and stay a game behind first-place Philadelphia in the National League East.
The Braves had lost six of their previous eight games.
St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter (15-6) was on the mound to start the sixth and he gave up consecutive singles to Conrad, Omar Infante, Jason Heyward and Martin Prado to account for two runs.
Left fielder Jon Jay then misplayed a fly ball by Brian McCann into an error that allowed both Heyward and Prado to score and McCann came in on a base hit by Derrek Lee.
Nate McLouth became the first out of the inning when he put down a sacrifice that put Lee on second and Lee went to third on a single by Alex Gonzalez. A sacrifice fly from Melky Cabrera drove home Lee with the sixth run of the inning.
Reliever Peter Moylan (6-2) got the victory with an inning of work. Billy Hunter needed only seven pitches in a perfect ninth for his 33rd save.
Although Carpenter struggled on the mound, he did hit his second home run in a career that began in 1997.
