PITTSBURGH -- Down to his final strike and his team trailing by a run with two outs in the ninth, St. Louis pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter told himself to just find a pitch he could handle.When the fastball from closer Tony Watson ended up right down the middle and not up and away as Watson hoped, Carpenter pounced. His solo homer -- a major league record 15th by a St. Louis pinch-hitter this season -- tied it and sent a jolt through the Cardinals. A home run each from Randal Grichuk and Jhonny Peralta followed, and St. Louis rallied for a stunning 9-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.Weve got a team that I think the best way to describe it is a dangerous team, Carpenter said. Weve got a team that I dont think anybody wants to match up with, especially in a postseason scenario. Its a fun team to play on. We never quit, and tonight was a good example of it.St. Louis blew an early five-run lead and the Pirates were a pitch away from ending a seven-game losing streak when Watsons 0-2 fastball turned into Carpenters 18th home run. An All-Star two years ago as a setup man who moved into the closer role when Mark Melancon was traded to Washington at the deadline, Watson gave up as many homers in the ninth as he did during the entire 2015 season.Were not playing good ball and to go out there and (have) guys fight back and be a strike away and serve up four more runs, its tough to swallow, Watson (2-4) said after his third blown save since replacing Melancon.Yadier Molina went 4 for 5, including a first-inning grand slam for St. Louis. Mike Mayers (1-1) tossed a scoreless eighth for the win, and Seung-Hwan Oh worked around a solo homer to Jung Ho Kang in the ninth for his 16th save.The Cardinals finished with five home runs in all, including Matt Adams 436-foot drive over the seats in right field that plopped into the Allegheny River on the bounce. The comeback allowed St. Louis to remain a game in front of the New York Mets for the second wild card in the National League.Im speechless, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. Just, I love how this team competes, right down to the last out. Having a guy like (Carpenter), who hadnt felt quite right, to be able to come into that situation, and then right after that ... Im at a loss.Jung Ho Kang had two homers for Pittsburgh and Jordy Mercer hit a two-run double in the fifth as the Pirates took advantage of some sloppy defense by the Cardinals to overcome an early five-run deficit. Watsons implosion, however, sent Pittsburgh to its eighth straight defeat.The Pirates came in reeling during their longest skid in two years, one that dropped them to the fringe of playoff contention. Opponents have outscored them 47-22 during the slide, including a 12-6 setback on Monday night in which the Cardinals simply overpowered Pittsburghs struggling pitching staff.It looked like more of the same early on Tuesday. The Cardinals loaded the bases against Ryan Vogelsong and Molina cleared them with his first grand slam since 2012, the 25th straight game the Cardinals have homered, a club record.MARTINEZ FINALLY ARRIVESSt. Louis rookie outfielder Jose Martinez made his long-awaited major league debut when he entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. The 28-year-old son of former major leaguer Carlos Cafe Martinez grounded out to third in his first plate appearance after more than a decade in the minors.It was good to see him get that chance, Matheny said. This is a good day for him. Long time coming.TRAINING ROOMCardinals: RF Stephen Piscotty was initially held out of the lineup to give his aching left wrist a breather. Piscotty took a pitch off the wrist on Monday. Postgame X-rays were negative and Piscotty doubled as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.Pirates: Pittsburgh held C Francisco Cervelli out of the lineup a day after he experienced discomfort in his left hand trying to block a pitch.UP NEXTCardinals: Mike Leake returns to the rotation after a stay on the disabled list while battling a case of the shingles. Leake is 9-5 with a 3.28 ERA in his career against Pittsburgh but is 1-2 with a 5.71 ERA this season.Pirates: Rookie Jameson Taillon will face the Cardinals for the first time in the series finale. The 24-year-old has a 2.80 ERA over his last 10 starts and pitched six innings of one-run ball last week against Milwaukee. 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Toronto Raptors Jerseys Online . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Players and coaches like to say the Heisman Trophy is really a team award.Well, Lamar Jacksons Louisville teammates did not give him much help Thursday night against Houston, so now the winner of the Heisman is not quite the foregone conclusion it was last week.The Cardinals quarterback was not at his best in a 36-10 loss, in which he was sacked 11 times but his remarkable athleticism likely saved him from three or four more. The negative sack yardage, which counts toward rushing yards in college, killed Jacksons box score. Jackson ran for 116 yards on 14 carries, not counting the 11 sacks. Add those and the numbers drop to 25 for 33.He was 20 for 43 for 211 yards passing with a touchdown and no picks. He did have a crucial fumble near the goal line.So is the door open for someone to overtake Jackson in voting by the APs Heisman watch panel? Maybe. Not only has he stumbled, but the next two weeks will be filled with high-stakes games, involving Heisman contenders:Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville (21 points)Numbers to know: Jackson has thrown six interceptions and lost three fumbles, giving him nine turnovers. By comparison, Clemsons Deshaun Watson has 13 interceptions. Oklahomas Baker Mayfield has 11 turnovers (eight and three). Washingtons Jake Browning has nine (seven and two). Ohio States J.T. Barrett has five (four and one).Next: Kentucky. The Wildcats rank 86th in the nation in defense at 5.95 yards per play allowed. Two weeks ago, Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs had 223 yards passing, 147 yards rushing and accounted for five touchdowns against this defense.Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (12 points)Number to know: There is no doubt that Watsons performance now compared with last years is off, but by how much? This season he is averaging 336.7 yards per game of total offense. Last year, 347.3. So not that much.Next: South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been OK defensively, allowing 5.44 yards per play (50th in the nation).Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama (2 points)Number to know: Allen is one of five finalists for the Nagurski Award given to the natiional defensive player of the year.dddddddddddd.Next: No. 16 Auburn. The Tigers rank fifth in the nation in rushing at 297 yards per game and in rushing attempts at 52. The Tigers also rank 119th in passing attempts at 243.Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma (2 points)Number to know: Westbrook has 24 catches of at least 20 yards, most in the nation, and 12 of at least 40 yards, tied for tops in the country.Next: No. 10 Oklahoma State, Dec. 3.J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State (1 point)Number to know: Barrett leads the Big Ten in touchdown passes with 24.Next: No. 3 Michigan. The Wolverines lead the nation in yards allowed per game at 245.6 and are second in yards per play allowed at 3.95.Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State (1 point)Number to know: Cook has scored 17 touchdowns, including two four-touchdown games.Next: No. 13 Florida. The Gators allow 3.31 yards per carry, 13th in the nation.DOnta Foreman, RB, Texas (1 point)Number to know: Foreman needs 137 yards to reach 2,000 and is averaging 186.30 per game, tops in the country.Next: TCU. The Horned Frogs have the second best rush defense in the Big 12, allowing 3.82 yards per carry.Jabrill Peppers, LB, Michigan (1 point)Number to know: Peppers leads the Wolverines in tackles for loss at 16 and is tied for the team lead with eight quarterback hurries.Next: at No. 2 Ohio State.Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma (1 point)Number to know: Mayfield has accounted for at least four TDs in nine games this season, including the last eight.Next: at No. 10 Oklahoma State, Dec. 3.AP Heisman watch panel: National Writer Paul Newberry, Georgia; Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins, Texas; Sports Writer John Marshall, Arizona; Sports Writer Joedy McCreary, North Carolina; Sports Writer Eric Olson, Nebraska; Sports Writer Steve Megargee, Tennessee; College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo, New York.---Follow Ralph D. 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