CHICAGO -- Known throughout his well-traveled MLB career as one of the game’s most competitive players, Tommy Pham is thriving in the pressure of a playoff race after coming over to the Cardinals in a trade with the White Sox.

Pham, who hit a grand slam in his first at-bat back with the Cardinals on Tuesday, came through in the clutch again on Saturday to give the Redbirds new life in their four-game series against the rival Cubs.

Pham led off the top of the ninth with a triple off the ivy-covered wall in left-center and scored on a Lars Nootbaar sacrifice fly as the Cardinals rallied late to beat the Cubs 5-4 at Wrigley Field.

Losers in the first two games of the series, the Cardinals wiped out a 4-1 deficit with three runs in the eighth inning and another run in the ninth for the victory. All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, who blew Thursday’s game by allowing three in the ninth, closed out the game for his 34th save of the season.