By Steve Ginsburg

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The St. Louis Cardinals erased a six-run deficit and scored four runs in the ninth inning to stun the Washington Nationals 9-7 on Friday and advance to the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants.

Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma each had two-out, two-run singles in the ninth for the Cardinals to silence the record Nationals Park crowd of 45,966 and win the best-of-five N.L. Division Series 3-2.

Washington, in the playoffs for just the second time in the franchise's 44-year history, had built a 6-0 lead after three innings but the World Series champion Cardinals battered Nationals closer Drew Storen in the ninth inning to get the win.

San Francisco will host St. Louis in the opening game of the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday.

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)