ST. LOUIS -- While the Cardinals let an opportunity to sweep the Rays slip away on Thursday night, it appears that Nolan Arenado has regained the pep in his step that helped make him an eight-time All-Star.

Arenado shined both offensively and defensively, but it wasn’t enough as Tampa Bay rallied to hand St. Louis the 6-4 defeat at Busch Stadium. Brandon Lowe’s two-run homer off JoJo Romero capped a three-run rally in the seventh to prevent the Cardinals from sweeping their fourth series this season.

“[Lowe] took a really good swing backside and takes him deep there,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “But I'll take JoJo on that matchup pretty much any night.”

Starter Kyle Gibson, after surrendering a two-run single in the first inning to former Cardinal Dylan Carlson, settled in for five scoreless frames after to work towards a no-decision. He allowed eight hits, struck out six batters and walked one.

“I don't think we made too many adjustments,” Gibson said. “I think, you know, one pitch away in the first inning from having another zero and giving the bullpen a little bit more breathing room. But unfortunately, D.C. put a good swing on it and I miss my location there. He did what hitters do here in the big leagues.”

While a win would have given the Cardinals momentum heading into a two-game set this weekend against a Royals team that swept St. Louis earlier this season -- more importantly it was a chance to keep pace in the National League Wild Card race. The Cardinals missed on a chance to pick up a game on the Braves, and sit 2 1/2 games back of the Mets for the final playoff spot in the National League with 46 games to play.

“I think it's easy to get lost when you lose the last game of a series in a tough way,” Gibson said. “We still won the series, so they did a really good job the first two games. And tonight, you know, getting us a lead, putting up runs and giving us a chance to beat a good team.”

But if the Cardinals are going to make a run for a postseason berth, Arenado will certainly have to play a prominent role in the surge.

“He's turned it on to a different level,” Marmol said. “His at-bats are looking really good and he's locked in defensively.”

Arenado had three hits, walked, scored twice, drove in a run and stole a base. The likely future Hall of Famer extended his hitting streak to six games, which included a key two-run double on Wednesday, and he has reached safely in his last 10 games.

It was Arenado’s seventh game with three or more hits this season, second-most on the team.

Arenado’s RBI single and an RBI double by Brendan Donovan quickly erased a 2-0 deficit in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a grounder to third, scoring Arenado to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. Goldschmidt’s RBI single then drove in Arenado in the third to make it 4-2.

“They did a really good job of not only giving me a break there, a little bit of a breather, but they put up three runs and got the lead right back,” Gibson said of the offense. “Our offense has been battling and doing a great job for the pitchers here, getting us a lead and keeping us in the game.”

Arenado also turned in a dazzling defensive play, charging a bunt by Ben Rortvedt in the eighth and throwing across his body to start a 5-6-3 double play.

“I've seen it from the other side of the field for a long time and you know, he has a way of impacting not only just a game but a series,” Gibson said of Arenado. “He can, you know, win a game for his team with his defense and he made a couple of really good plays tonight and he's been doing it all year. It's been fun to see it for our team.”

“I don't know how many third basemen make that play there,” Marmol said. “And then the combination of turning it was equally as impressive. So, he's been doing a really nice job as of late. Man, it's been fun to watch him.”