Carpenter (19-4) improved to 11-0 in his past 14 starts. He allowed seven hits but only one run, stranding four runners in scoring position.
Jeff Conine's sacrifice fly in the fourth ended a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless innings pitched by the Cardinals.
A.J. Burnett (12-8) lost his second start in a row after winning seven straight. He gave up a season-high six walks, and four led to runs -- including one to Carpenter, a .031 hitter.
Dodgers 9, Cubs 6
At Chicago, Jeff Kent drove in four runs and D.J. Houlton got his first win in two months as Los Angeles used a six-run second inning to beat Chicago.
Houlton (5-7) won for the first time in nine starts since June 27, despite giving up four solo homers. He can thank the Dodgers' offense for finally getting him some runs -- they'd scored only eight in his seven losses. Jeromy Burnitz homered twice for the Cubs and Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Walker each connected off Houlton, who surrendered seven hits and four runs in 5 2-3 innings.
Cubs right-hander Kerry Wood made his final appearance of the season, pitching the eighth. He will have season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Wednesday.
The Dodgers drove Jerome Williams (4-7) out after 1 2-3 innings with a six-run second.
Boston Red Sox pitcher David Wells will sit out six games for pushing an umpire, failing in his attempt to shorten the suspension on Monday.
He blasted Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig for the appeals process and just about everything else.
"I don't know what the point was even having a hearing," Wells said.
"They said I clearly bumped him and sprayed him with spit. That's coming from a guy that works for the commissioner, so what can you do?" he said.
Wells, who was scheduled to start on Friday, will instead pitch on Sunday. A spot starter will take Wells' turn and the rest of the rotation will be pushed back a day, manager Terry Francona said.
Wells was ejected in Boston's July 2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays after an argument in which he was accused of making contact with two umpires.
Wells acknowledged swearing but said he did so quietly and to himself. He denied spitting on or "beaking" any umpires and said there would have been no problem if second base umpire Chris Guccione wasn't reading his lips or third base umpire Angel Hernandez hadn't intervened to restrain the fuming pitcher.
"I guess that gives umpires a reason to do whatever the hell they want to do," Wells said, adding that he thought he was pushing teammate Kevin Millar, who was trying to restrain him. "It's a sad day for me ... I don't get it. I'm very bitter about the situation."
Wells accused Selig of retaliating for past criticism and discipline czar Bob Watson of "turning against the players."
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