ST. LOUIS: St. Louis Cardinals rookie Marco Gonzales grew up watching the Colorado Rockies.

Raised in Fort Collins, about an hour north of Denver, he is quite familiar with Coors Field.

“I spent a good part of my life there,” the Cardinals lefty said.

Gonzales came back to beat his boyhood favorites on Sunday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

In just his fifth major league start, Gonzales struck out nine and allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings to help the NL Central-leading Cardinals beat the Rockies, 4-1, for their third straight win.

The Cardinals held their 3 1/2-game division lead over Pittsburgh. St. Louis has won 13 straight regular-season home games in September and October.

Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer to cap a three-run rally in the third inning. It was his team-high 21st homer. Gonzales (3-2) turned in the finest effort of his career under the pressure of a pennant chase.

“It’s great to be in a race, you could feel the intensity out there,” Gonzales said. “My number was called and I just tried to focus, go out there and do my job.”

Gonzales, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2013 draft, gave up two hits over the first five innings and carried a 3-1 lead into the sixth.

Brewers 9 Reds 2: At Milwaukee: Matt Clark hit a three-run homer in a five-run seventh inning, and Mark Reynolds added a solo shot in the eighth. Matt Garza (8-8) allowed one run and four hits in six-plus innings to beat Mike Leake (11-12).

Marlins 5 Phillies 4: At Philadelphia: Philadelphia closer Jonathan Papelbon made a lewd gesture to fans and was ejected after giving up four runs in the ninth inning. Papelbon grabbed his crotch as he walked to the dugout and was ejected by crew chief Joe West.

Dodgers 4 Giants 2: At San Francisco: Clayton Kershaw (19-3) allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings and struck out nine, taking over the big league lead in wins and lowering his majors-best ERA to 1.70. Los Angeles moved three games ahead of second-place San Francisco in the NL West.

Nationals 3 Mets 0: At New York: Wilson Ramos hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh off Jonathon Niese (8-11), and the Nationals won their ninth straight start with Jordan Zimmermann (11-5).

Pirates 7 Cubs 3: At Pittsburgh: Third baseman Josh Harrison started Pittsburgh’s first triple play at home in 21 years and hit a tying two-run double in a six-run fifth against Jacob Turner (5-10). Chicago, which last won the World Series in 1908, was eliminated from postseason contention.

Diamondbacks 8 Padres 6: At Phoenix: Zeke Spruill (1-1) allowed one hit in three shutout innings of long relief, and Will Harris escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.

Interleague

Rangers 10 Braves 3: At Arlington, Texas: Colby Lewis (10-13) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, Luis Sardinas doubled his career total with four RBIs and Texas completed a three-game sweep.

American League

Orioles 3 Yankees 2: At Baltimore: Steve Pearce doubled in a ninth-inning run and scored the game-winner on a double by Kelly Johnson as Baltimore inched closer to the AL East title. Any number of Orioles wins and Toronto losses totaling three will give Baltimore its first division title since 1997.

Twins 6 White Sox 4: At Chicago: Staked to an early 4-0 lead, rookie Trevor May (3-4) struck out a season-high 10 in six innings and Minnesota overcame Jose Abreu’s 35th homer to end a four-game losing streak. Trevor Plouffe and Jordan Schafer homered for the Twins.

Tigers 6 Indians 4: At Detroit: Ian Kinsler hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, and Detroit reopened a 1 1/2-game AL Central lead by beating Cleveland for a three-game sweep.

Red Sox 8 Royals 4: At Kansas City, Missouri: Daniel Nava hit a grand slam and Xander Bogaerts added a three-run drive as Boston overcame a 4-0, third-inning deficit.

Astros 6, Angels 1 — At Anaheim, California: Dallas Keuchel (11-9) didn’t allow a hit until Mike Trout’s one-out single in the seventh, and Houston ended the Angels’ 10-game winning streak, one shy of the team record set in 1964.

A’s 4 Mariners 0: At Seattle: Sam Fuld and Brandon Moss hit solo home runs, and Jon Lester (15-10) combined with three relievers on a seven-hitter to improve to 5-3 with the A’s.