ST. LOUIS — Matt Carpenter had it backward on Thursday.
The leadoff hitter in the St. Louis batting order, Carpenter homered and drove in a career-high six runs to lead the Cardinals to a 13-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night.
St. Louis, which has won three of four, scored a season-high six runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good.
“If I do my job, I get on base and we’ve got the guys that can drive me in,” Carpenter said. “That’s the way it’s supposed to happen.”
It was Carpenter who did the heavy lifting this time.
He smashed a three-run homer in the eighth inning and also had a bases-loaded double in the fourth.
“I feel like our lineup is very flexible,” Carpenter said. “Guys can hit in some different spots, including me.”
St. Louis manager Mike Matheny shook up his batting order, placing Stephen Piscotty in the cleanup spot for only the third time this season. He also moved Aledmys Diaz into the No. 2 hole for the first time.
“Good at-bats all the way through,” Matheny said. “We talked about those relentless at-bats. The guys are in a good place.”
Matt Adams drove in four runs with two-run singles in the first and fourth.
Piscotty added three hits and drove in two runs.
Trevor Story hit his 12th home run of the season for the Rockies, a solo shot in the seventh. He had three hits.
Colorado has lost two straight after a five-game winning streak that ended in a 2-0 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday.
Tyler Lyons (1-0) allowed one run over three innings in relief of Michael Wacha, who gave up eight hits and six runs in four innings. Wacha came into the game on a career-high four-game losing streak.
“The offence came up big tonight,” Wacha said. “We really needed it after the way my start went. The first couple of innings, I was hitting my spots. That fourth inning got away from me.”
Daniel Descalso had two hits and two RBIs for the Rockies, who have dropped 19 of their last 24 in St. Louis.
Colorado starter Jon Gray (1-2) gave up nine runs and eight hits over 3 1-3 innings.
“No command of any pitch,” Gray said. “I felt strong physically. I just got outside of my delivery and didn’t put the ball where it was supposed to be.”
Adams had a two-run single to highlight a three-run first inning. He triggered the big fourth inning with a two-run single that pushed the lead to 10-6.
“I think it was a case of the mentality of not trying to do too much when you’re up there,” Adams said. “Get a pitch you can get the barrel on and then pass it on to the next guy.”
Carpenter’s two-run double in the fourth had tied the game 6-6. Diaz then put the Cardinals ahead to stay with a run-scoring single.
Colorado scored four times in the fourth to take a 6-4 lead. Descalso’s two-run single was the big hit and Gray added an RBI hit.
“We battled, we got back into it, took the lead and then let it get away,” Descalso said.
The Rockies allowed 10 or more runs for the sixth time this season.
“Trevor hits that home run, makes it a (10-7) game, I still like our chances at that point,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.
St. Louis has scored 10 or more runs nine times this season, matching its total from last year.
Cardinals outfielder Randal Grichuk left the game after the third inning with tightness in his back. He is listed as day-to-day.
Rockies reliever Christian Bergman was removed after the fourth inning after pulling an oblique muscle.
“It didn’t sound too good,” Weiss said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: LHP Tyler Matzek has been sent to Class-A Modesto to begin a rehab assignment. Matzek was placed on the DL on April 3 with anxiety issues. … RHP Miguel Castro was activated from the 15-day DL and has been sent to Triple-A Albuquerque. Castro, bothered by right shoulder inflammation, will make several appearances in an effort to build up his strength.
Cardinals: INF Jhonny Peralta, who has been out since March after undergoing surgery on his left thumb, will begin a rehab assignment on Friday at Class-A Peoria.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Eddie Butler (2-1, 4.74) will face Pittsburgh RHP Gerrit Cole (4-3, 3.05) in the first of a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Friday. It is the fourth game of a nine-game trip for the Rockies.
Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (4-3, 3.14) will take on Arizona LHP Patrick Corbin (1-3, 4.14) in the first of a three-game set on Friday. Martinez has lost three successive starts for the first time in his career.
