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DENVER -- Carlos Martinez labored most of the game. Not with his pitches, but catching his breath.Martinez threw five effective innings despite struggling to take a deep breath in the thin air and added a two-run double, helping the St. Louis Cardinals gain ground in the NL playoff race with a 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.The Cardinals moved into a tie for the second wild card with the Giants, who blew a ninth-inning lead in Los Angeles and lost 2-1 to the Dodgers.St. Louis and San Francisco are one game behind the New York Mets, who lost to Atlanta.Martinez, who turns 25 on Wednesday, gave himself an early birthday present by holding Colorado to two runs while striking out six. The right-hander is 9-1 on the road this season.Martinez (15-8) helped his own cause with a two-out double as part of a three-run fourth. He also was hit just below the left leg by a fastball from Tyler Anderson (5-6) in the third -- two pitches after Randal Grichuk lined a two-run homer.Really, though, the biggest issue for Martinez was breathing in the Mile High City.The altitude affects everybody a little differently, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. It affected him today, for sure.Martinez was cruising along until one out in the fourth, when Matheny came out to check on him. Martinez was quite winded, and a ball boy brought out a cup of water, which he quickly chugged and continued on his way.I tried to take deep breaths and stay focused, Martinez said through a translator. It didnt take away my focus in the game.Martinez was pulled after the fifth because of an elevated pitch count. The bullpen bottled up the Rockies until pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn hit a solo homer off Kevin Siegrist in the ninth to make it 5-3.After allowing a single to Charlie Blackmon, Siegrist struck out DJ LeMahieu before walking Carlos Gonzalez. The left-hander got Nolan Arenado to line out to left field for his third save.Anderson allowed five runs -- two earned -- in seven solid innings. The rookie is 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 starts at Coors Field.He ended up getting through seven, so it was a good outing, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.Arenado, a Gold Glove third baseman, made a costly throwing error in the fourth. Martinez followed with a two-run double -- giving him six RBI this season -- and Matt Carpenter added a run-scoring single.We have seen (Arenado) make that play. He makes it look easy and that wasnt an easy play, Weiss said. And then the throw was a little high. It was a tough play.LeMahieu finished 2 for 4 to raise his average to .349 and take a slight lead over Washingtons Daniel Murphy in the NL batting race. Murphy is hitting .348.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: Matheny said theres been no discussion of possibly activating OF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) to serve as a pinch runner. Holliday is still dealing with some swelling issues in the thumb after batting practice sessions.Rockies: There are no plans for surgery on the broken left hand of 1B Mark Reynolds after he was hit by a pitch Sunday, ending his season. Its a tough break for Mark, Weiss said.HOLD THE ONIONSA launched baseball in batting practice left a burger joint in quite a pickle.The Helton Burger Shack located behind the bleachers in left field was closed Monday after a ball broke the glass protecting the prep area.No official word on whose liner actually broke the window pane -- Twitter conversations credited Holliday -- but it wasnt the restaurants namesake; Todd Helton retired after the 2013 season.BAD BLOOD?The Rockies have some history with Martinez. In July 2015, things got a little heated after he hit LeMahieu with a pitch.Martinez didnt think there was any purpose to the pitch that plunked him Monday night, even though it did sting.I dont think it was any retaliation. That happened last year. Its a new year, Martinez said. I wouldnt like to think that. I think it just got away.Anderson downplayed it, too.It was a ball that cut and hit him in the shin, he explained.UP NEXTCardinals: With 132 wins, RHP Adam Wainwright (11-9, 4.51 ERA) tries to move closer to tying Dizzy Dean (134) for sixth on the teams career list.Rockies: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (8-8, 5.22) is 4-0 with a 4.01 ERA in four starts against St. Louis at Coors Field. NFL Jerseys China . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Jerseys NFL Cheap . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. http://www.jerseysnflchina.net/ . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. Wholesale Jerseys . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. Keaton Jennings has signed a new four-year deal to remain at Durham. Jennings, who had been out of contract at the end of the season, had emerged as a target of several rival clubs with Warwickshire having held talks with him in recent days and seeing him as a potential leader of their side.But, despite their well-documented financial pressures, Durham have been able to hang on to Jennings and have now secured him on a long-term deal. He has stood-in as captain in recent days and looks a potential club captain of the near future.Despite being born in Johannesburg, Jennings emerged through the Durham academy and made his first team debut for the club in 2012. A solid, patient, top-order batsman, he is currently the top run-scorer in the top division of the County Championship and has emerged as a valuable medium-pace bowler in limited-overs cricket. Aged just 24, he has the bulk of his career ahead of him.Durham has afforded me the opportunity over the past few years to learn the trade and start to build a career and I am grateful for theiir support, Jennings said.dddddddddddd As a team, we have an exciting future ahead in search of the same success that we experienced in 2013 and 2014. Its a privilege to be part of this environment and Im looking forward to adding value where possible.The singing will come as a considerable relief to Durham. Already resigned to losing Mark Stoneman to Surrey, there have been fears that the club could lose several other top players to rival clubs as money troubles inhibit their ability to pay comparable wages. But news of Jennings new contract will boost hopes they can also retain the services of Scott Borthwick and Mark Wood.The news will be a setback to Warwickshire, though. Having lost the service of Varun Chopra, who has announced he is returning to Essex at the end of the season, the club were hoping to sign a replacement top-order batsman with many years in front of him. Jennings fitted the bill perfectly. ' ' '