Wild Cards

Wild Cards

DENVER — Carlos Martinez powered himself to his career-high 15th win with a fourth-inning double, as the Cardinals topped the Rockies, 5-3, at Coors Field on Monday to keep pace in the National League Wild Card chase.

The win put the Cardinals a game behind the Mets for the top Wild Card and a half-game behind the Giants (who are playing the Dodgers on Monday night) for the second Wild Card while ending the Rockies' three-game win streak.

The Cardinals scored early against Rockies starter Tyler Anderson.

Randal Grichuk launched his 23rd homer, a two-run shot, to take a 2-1 lead in the third, and Martinez doubled in two runs an inning later with his first extra-base hit of the season. Matt Carpenter singled to right to score Martinez.

Although Martinez only lasted five innings — his shortest outing since Aug.

6 — he held the Rockies to two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. The Rockies had RBI singles by David Dahl in the first and Nolan Arenado in the third, but managed little against St.

Louis' bullpen. They reached base three times against five relievers and scored once, on Ryan Raburn's pinch-hit homer in the ninth against Kevin Siegrist, who earned his third save.