ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter struck out a season-high 11 batters and strong-armed the St. Louis Cardinals to a series victory against the division-leading Cincinnati Reds.

Outfielder Matt Holliday provided most off the runs with a three-run homer in the sixth inning that made a winner of Carpenter and gave the Cardinals' a getaway 4-2 victory Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Closer Ryan Franklin worked a perfect ninth for his 24th save.

The victory concluded the Cardinals' regular-season series against the Reds. The Cardinals finish the year 12-6 against their division rivals, but the recent struggle against losing teams has all but doomed their chances of winning the NL Central.

The Reds leave town with a seven-game lead.

The Cardinals have 28 games remaining to catch them.

Holliday's homer, his 25th of the season, came immediately after the Reds intentionally walked Albert Pujols with a runner on and two outs. Pujols represented the go-ahead run, and moreover the Cardinals' first baseman has dropped swiftly into a prolonged funk. He has one hit in the team's previous six games. Still, the Reds walked him on principle.

Holliday made them pay.

The left fielder drilled a 1-2 pitch from Reds' starter Homer Bailey over the wall in left-center field for a three-run shot. That reversed the Reds' one-run lead and was all that Carpenter needed to work with.

The Cardinals' righthander struck out five in a row around the time Holliday provided the lead. The righthander turned the game over the bullpen after throwing 7 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on six hits. For the third time this season, Carpenter struck out more than 10 batters.

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