ST. LOUIS — Pinch-hitter Ivan Cruz hit a game-winning RBI single off Antonio Alfonseca with two outs in the 13th inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.

        The Cardinals moved a season-best 19 games above .500 and retained a 5 1/2-game lead over Houston in the NL Central. Scott Rolen had a three-run homer in the first inning and Tino Martinez and Eli Marrero also homered for St. Louis.

        Jeff Fassero (6-6), the Cardinals' eighth pitcher, struck out two in two perfect innings. The Cardinals' bullpen combined for 11 scoreless innings, allowing five hits in that span, after the Cubs took a 5-3 lead with five runs in the second off Chuck Finley.

        Alfonseca (2-4) walked Edgar Renteria with one out in the 13th and Renteria stole second standing up before Cruz' two-out hit into the gap in left-center.

        Rolen, who struck out twice in the Cardinals' 11-run third inning Friday night, hit a three-run homer in the first to give St. Louis the early lead. Rolen capitalized when Cubs first baseman Fred McGriff ran out of room tracking his foul fly into the Cardinals' dugout and the ball popped out of his glove.

        Pitcher Steve Smyth and light-hitting Chad Hermansen got the big hits in the Cubs' five-run second. Smyth had a bases-loaded infield hit and Hermansen, who entered batting .205, hit a two-run double.

        Bobby Hill had a run-scoring groundout and a fifth run scored when Martinez booted McGriff's two-out grounder to first.

        Martinez hit his 17th homer off Will Cunnane in the third to cut the gap to one and Marrero hit his 14th off Juan Cruz leading off the seventh to tie it.

        Finley faced the Cubs for the second straight time and lasted only 1 2-3 innings, matching his shortest outing of the year. He threw 62 pitches and allowed five runs — four earned — five hits and three walks. On Sept. 1, Finley allowed five runs in seven innings in a 5-4 loss at Chicago.

        Smyth also wasn't around for long, giving up three runs and three hits in two innings in his sixth career start. Smyth has given up 23 earned runs in 22 innings.

        Sammy Sosa was 1-for-6 for the Cubs, making him 4-for-22 with one homer in his last six games since missing nine games with a mid-back strain.

        Notes: Cardinals rookie So Taguchi, recalled from Double-A New Haven earlier in the day, got a pinch single in the second for his first career hit in five at-bats. ... Cardinals reliever Luther Hackman gave up a hit in three innings and hasn't allowed a run in his last 10 innings. ... Finley also lasted 1 2-3 innings April 16 at Chicago against the White Sox when he was pitching for the Indians. He had worked at least seven innings in his previous five starts. ... Moises Alou is 14-for-26 during a seven-game hitting streak. ... Cardinals 15-game winner Matt Morris threw about 40 pitches to hitters before the game and is on track to come off the disabled list and start Tuesday at Milwaukee.

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