ST. LOUIS, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A two-run single finished off a wild, six-run, ninth-inning rally Thursday that brought the New York Mets an 8-6 victory over St. Louis.
The stunning setback prevented the Cardinals from making up ground in the National League wild card chase, instead leaving them two games behind idle Atlanta in that competition with six games remaining. The Cardinals also fell five games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
The game was delayed by rain at the start for 2 hours, 19 minutes.
St. Louis owned a seemingly comfortable 6-2 lead heading into the ninth, but surrendered six runs in the inning on just three hits and committed two errors that made one of the runs unearned.
The Mets loaded the bases before Justin Turner drew a walk to force in the first run in the ninth. Jose Reyes singled in another, Ruben Tejada doubled home two more and Harris closed things out with his two-RBI single.
The New York comeback made a winner out of Manny Acosta (4-1), who worked the bottom of the eighth. Bobby Parnell threw a perfect ninth to end the Cardinals' four-game winning streak and earn his sixth save.
Marc Rzepczynski (0-3), one of three St. Louis pitchers used in the ninth, took the loss.
