Albert Pujols and Nolan Arenado homered and combined for seven hits, and Jose Quintana made his second strong start for St. Louis in the Cardinals’ 9-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.

Pujols and Arenado had run-scoring hits in the Cardinals’ five-run first inning and connected on back-to-back homers in the sixth for an 8-2 lead. Pujols had four hits and finished a triple short of the cycle. Arenado also was a triple short of the cycle.

Quintana (4-5) gave up two runs and seven hits and struck out six in his second quality start since being obtained from Pittsburgh on August 1. He has given two runs and eight hits in 12 innings for the Cardinals, with 13 strikeouts and four walks.

Paul DeJong tied a career high with four hits and had an RBI, Lars Nootbaar had two triples and two RBIs and Yadier Molina had two hits and an RBI as St. Louis rebounded from a 16-5 loss in the first game of the series Tuesday that broke its seven-game winning streak.

Jose Iglesias had two hits and two RBIs and Brendan Rodgers had three hits and an RBI for the Rockies, who scored three in the ninth.

They had won three of five.

Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (7-8) gave up 10 hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings, leaving after Molina’s single drove in DeJong for a 6-1 lead in the fifth. Freeland, who struck out one and walked two, had won his last three starts.

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St. Louis RHP Dakota Hudson (6-6, 4.20 ERA) is to oppose Colorado RHP German Marquez (6-9, 5.18) in the deciding game of the three-game series. Hudson has not won in his five starts since June 28. Marquez is 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA in six career starts against the Cardinals.