The Associated Press

CHICAGO - Now that was a series - five spirited games that the Chicago Cubs turned into four emotional victories over the St. Louis Cardinals.

"If you weren't a fan and you watched this series, you became one," Tony Womack said Thursday after his RBI single pushed the Cubs to a 7-6 victory and moved them a half-game out of the National League Central lead.

The Cubs trail Houston by a half-game, while the Cardinals are a game behind the Astros.

Womack singled in the seventh off Mike DeJean (5-8), who had walked Moises Alou and hit Aramis Ramirez with a pitch. DeJean got out of a bases-loaded jam by slipping a called third strike past Randall Simon.

Plate umpire Bill Hohn ejected Sammy Sosa after Sosa apparently made a comment about a third-strike call. "I was cursing myself and he threw me out of the game," said Sosa, the third Cubs player to be ejected in the heated five-game series.

Phillies 6, Mets 5

PHILADELPHIA - Mike Lieberthal's two-out RBI single in the ninth inning lifted Philadelphia. The Phillies overcame a blown save by Jose Mesa to win for the sixth time in seven games.

Marlins 5, Pirates 1

MIAMI - Miguel Cabrera and Alex Gonzalez emerged from slumps and sparked Florida's four-run seventh inning. Cabrera singled home the go-ahead run, and Gonzalez followed with his 16th home run; Cabrera began the game in a 1-for-33 slump, and Gonzalez was 1-for-25.