SAN FRANCISCO — Two teams as snug in the game as they remain in the standings exchanged counterpunches late into the night Monday as they tried to avoid being the first of them eliminated, officially, from the playoff race.

With less than a week remaining in the regular season, both the Cardinals and Giants – once again dueling toward the end of their seasons – swapped leads through the early innings before the Cardinals struck against Justin Verlander for a four-run rally. A mix of power from Ivan Herrera and small ball from groundouts boosted the Cardinals toward a 6-5 victory against the Giants at Oracle Park. Jose Fermin, a last-minute addition to the lineup due to Brendan Donovan’s injury, had two doubles and RBI to rally the Cardinals, and Herrera’s homer catapulted them to the lead

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