The St. Louis Cardinals already had the National League's best record. They showed they can pull off a comeback victory, too.

Pinch-hitter Reggie Sanders capped a three-run rally with a game-winning single in the ninth inning, leading the Cardinals to a surprising 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics Thursday night.

It was the first time St. Louis came back from a ninth-inning deficit after being 0-for-24 in that situation.

"The early part of the year, we weren't able to win those late games," Sanders said. "Everything is clicking right now."

The Cardinals have won 13 of 17 and swept the A's, who came to St. Louis on an eight-game winning streak.

"Coming back like that against a good team like that is a good sign," Sanders said.

With Oakland leading 4-2, Edgar Renteria and Cody McKay opened the ninth with singles, and Ray Lankford was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.

A's second baseman Marco Scutaro then booted Marlon Anderson's grounder to allow two runs to score.

Sanders followed with a single off Jim Mecir (0-5) to complete the comeback for the Cardinals, who are 39-27 and hold a two-game lead in the NL Central.

"We have so many clutch players, so many guys that are ninth-inning guys, that it's the first time we've reversed it," manager Tony La Russa said. "We should do it as much as anybody because we've got a lot of pressure, clutch guys."

At Cincinnati, Ken Griffey Jr. failed to hit his 500th homer, but the Reds pulled off another late rally for a three-game sweep.Sean Casey had a pair of hits and a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the seventh. Griffey went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly.

At San Diego, Fred McGriff hit his 493rd homer to tie Lou Gehrig for 21st on the career list, and Tampa Bay extended its franchise-record winning streak to eight games.

At Atlanta, Darrell May (4-8) beat his former team, and Desi Relaford went 3-for-5 with three RBI for Kansas City.

At Milwaukee, Scott Spiezio hit a tiebreaking homer leading off the eighth inning, sending Seattle to a victory.

At Denver, Derek Lowe pitched four-hit ball for seven innings in the 25th shutout in Coors Field history, and David Ortiz drove in a career-high five runs to help Boston avoid a sweep.

At San Francisco, Michael Tucker hit a tiebreaking triple in the eighth, and the Giants completed a three-game sweep.

At Montreal, Matthew LeCroy hit his third pinch-hit homer in three at-bats this season, and Minnesota rallied for a three-game sweep.

At Miami, pinch-hitter Matt Treanor singled home the winning run with two outs in the 11th, and Florida beat Chicago after losing Josh Beckett to another injury.The World Series MVP left his start in the fourth with a muscle strain on the side of his back. He just returned from the disabled list because of a blister on his right middle finger. He's day to day.

At New York, Mike Cameron hit his first homer since May 10, and five Mets pitchers combined on a five-hitter.Earlier in the day, the Mets tried to bolster their lineup, acquiring outfielder Richard Hidalgo from Houston for pitchers David Weathers and Jeremy Griffiths.

At Phoenix, knuckleballer Steve Sparks (3-4) allowed one run in seven innings and Juan Brito hit his first major league homer for Arizona.

At Los Angeles, Adrian Beltre snapped a tie with a homer in the eighth to lift the Dodgers to a three-game sweep.

At Philadelphia, Jason Michaels homered and drove in four runs for the Phillies in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.In the nightcap, Carlos Guillen's two-out RBI single off Ryan Madson (4-2) in the 11th helped Detroit earn a split. The game was delayed 51 minutes by rain before the sixth inning, the fourth straight day weather affected a Phillies game.

At Houston, Glendon Rusch (4-1) pitched eight strong innings, Moises Alou drove in three runs and Chicago won its sixth straight.Chicago completed its first four-game sweep of the Astros since June 23-25, 1967, and first in Houston.