Cardinals rally past Pirates in 9th for 4-3 win

PITTSBURGH — Randal Grichuk scored after an error by Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer, capping a frantic ninth- rally that lifted the surging St. Louis Cardinals over Pittsburgh 4- 3 on Friday night.

The playoff- chasing Cardinals won their fourth straight, despite trailing by a run entering the ninth. Stephen Piscotty led off with a double to right against closer Felipe Rivero ( 5- 3), and Jedd Gyorko followed with a pinch- hit RBI single. After Tommy Pham’s single, Grichuk pinch-ran for Gyorko at third. He scored when Mercer misplayed Dexter Fowler’s sharp groundball.

St. Louis began a three- game set in Pittsburgh just 1.5 games behind Colorado for the second wild- card spot in the National League after taking three straight against Cincinnati, a resounding bounce back after getting swept last weekend by the Chicago Cubs. Ryan Goins successfully pulled off a hidden ball trick and hit his second career grand slam, leading Toronto over Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees and ensuring New York had to wait at least one more day to clinch a playoff berth. Wilson Ramos hit his third career grand slam, Evan Longoria also went deep and Tampa Bay throttled Ubaldo Jimenez in a victory over Baltimore.

Max Kepler and Brian Dozier homered, Byron Buxton had three hits and the playoff-chasing Minnesota beat Detroit. Travis d’Arnaud hit two home runs and the New York Mets ended a three-game skid, rallying past a watered-down lineup of Washington. Kurt Suzuki homered twice, Nick Markakis drove in three runs and Atlanta beat Philadelphia. Justin Verlander pitched one-hit ball over seven innings to remain perfect with Houston and Yuli Gurriel hit a threerun homer to propel the Astros to a win over the Los Angeles Angels.