Denver, CO -- (Sports Network) - Todd Helton's single scored Carlos Gonzalez in the fifth inning for the go-ahead run and Clint Barmes pulled off a sensational double play to end the game and give Colorado a 4-3 victory over St. Louis.

Helton, Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki collected two hits and an RBI each, while Jorge De La Rosa (16-9) went five innings and struck out eight to get the win.

The Rockies kept their lead in the NL Wild Card race at 2 1/2 games over the hard-charging Braves. Colorado had lost three of four entering play while Atlanta is riding a six-game win streak and has taken a remarkable 14 of the last 16 contests.

Albert Pujols provided the lone scoring salvo for St. Louis with a three-run double in the third inning, while Kyle Lohse (6-9) allowed four runs -- three earned -- on six hits over five innings to absorb the loss.

The Cardinals won the middle test in this three-game set to halt a seven- game series losing streak to the Rockies. Saturday's victory also gave St. Louis its first division crown since 2006.

St. Louis put runners on first and third with one out in the ninth off Rockies closer Huston Street and Ryan Ludwick flared a 1-2 slider to shallow right field. The ball appeared destined to drop and tie the game, but Barmes ran it down from second base and made a tumbling catch. He jumped up to double off Pujols at first to end the game.

"That may be the best defensive play that's been made all year," said Tracy of Barmes' doubly good play. "There's been an awful lot of really, really good ones. There's been pitches of the year, there's been innings of the year -- that's the defensive play of the year up to this point."

Street worked two scoreless innings to notch his 34th save of the year.

"He's a great athlete and got a jump," Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa said of Barmes. "Albert made the right play. If that ball falls, not only do we tie but we have a chance to win it. It's just a great play."

Colorado started out with a pair of two-out runs in the first. Helton singled to left and scored on Tulowitzki's triple before Brad Hawpe roped a single to center for a 2-0 edge.

The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the third and Pujols cleared them with a double to right. Pujols then swiped third and consecutive walks to Ludwick and Mark DeRosa juiced the bags again. De La Rosa recovered, though, fanning David Freese and getting Jason LaRue to foul out.

St. Louis loaded the bases again an inning later with just one down but Pujols and Ludwick both went down on strikes to end the threat.

Eric Young Jr. pinch-hit for De La Rosa to start the fifth and reached on an error by Pujols. Gonzalez tied the game with a double to right and Helton followed two batters later with a base hit through the right side for a 4-3 Rockies lead.

Freese led off the eighth with an infield hit off Street and moved to second on a sacrifice. Colby Rasmus went down swinging for the second out and Street escaped by getting pinch-hitter Rick Ankiel to fly out.

Game Notes

The Cardinals trail the playoff-bound Los Angeles Dodgers by three games for home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs...De La Rosa allowed three runs on four hits with three walks. It was his second subpar outing in a row having been blitzed for six runs on six hits and three walks over just 2 1/3 innings on Tuesday versus the Padres. The lefty had gone 3-0 with a 1.04 earned run average and 27 strikeouts in four previous starts...Lohse has just two wins since August 10.