Cardinals 5, Pirates 4: Yadier Molina returned from a sore back and got three hits, including a tiebreaking two-run double, as host St. Louis evened its critical series with Pittsburgh.

Molina’s fifth-inning ground-rule double scored Rafael Furcal and Allen Craig for a 5-3 lead, chasing Pirates starter Erik Bedard (7-13). Molina, an All-Star catcher, had missed the previous three games.

St. Louis moved within one game of Pittsburgh for the second National League wild card spot. The Pirates have dropped seven of 10.

Barret Browning (1-2) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Closer Jason Motte allowed a ninth-inning run but notched his 28th save two days after blowing one.

Cardinals backup outfielder Shane Robinson, who had been 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and less than two outs, broke a 1-1 fourth-inning tie with a two-run double to right. But Pittsburgh chased starter Lance Lynn in a two-run fifth. Rookie Jordy Mercer delivered his second run-scoring hit, doubling in Starling Marte, and Jones added a sacrifice fly.

Lynn, the slumping All-Star right-hander, allowed three earned runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. He fanned eight and walked three. Bedard was touched for five earned runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Furcal was back in the leadoff spot after batting eighth for seven of the previous eight games. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and has five extra-base hits in his last five games. … Bedard fell to 1-3 against the Cardinals this season, his first in the NL. … St. Louis took a 6-5 lead in the season series.