DENVER -- The Pittsburgh Pirates clinched a playoff berth for the third straight year by emphatically taking matters into their own hands Wednesday night.

After watching most of a large early lead vanish, the Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 13-7, piling on with a six-run ninth.

Had the Pirates lost, they still might have guaranteed themselves a spot in the postseason if the Giants lost at San Diego. Rather than wait for that outcome, the Pirates paved their own way to October. The victory was their fifth straight and improved their record to 92-60, putting the Pirates a season-high 32 games above .500.

The Pirates shook hands on the field like they would after any win. They had a team champagne toast in their clubhouse, but no champagne was sprayed in a celebration that was business-like without a hint of anything boisterous.

"Act like you been there before, and we have been," center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. "We didn't want to go crazy, because a couple years ago that was something we were happy where we were. We are happy where we are, but we know there's still some work to be done. And we're not done."

Second baseman Neil Walker, a Pittsburgh native, had a career-high six RBIs, the first five coming in the first three innings. He singled home two runs in the first and hit a three-run homer in the third off spot starter Christian Bergman (3-1).

With a single in the ninth, Walker became the first Pirate to drive in six runs since Garrett Jones on Aug. 16, 2012.

"It's a special night," manager Clint Hurdle said. "The kid from Pittsburgh, the clincher. You can't draw this stuff up."

Left fielder Starling Marte's two-run double in the fourth boosted the lead to 7-1. But the margin dwindled to one run when the Rockies struck for four runs in the fifth. Left fielder Corey Dickerson led off the inning with a homer and catcher Tom Murphy hit a three-run shot, driving Charlie Morton's 0-2 curveball into the left-field stands.

"That was probably one of the worst curveballs I've ever thrown," Morton said. "I heard one of the announcers say it was a changeup, and that's what it looked like because it broke so little. It didn't do anything."

However, the Pirates put the game out of reach with their big ninth and tied their season high with 13 runs.

First baseman Sean Rodriguez's three-run double began the scoring in the ninth when the Pirates collected seven of their 19 hits.

"He works as hard as anybody we've got," Hurdle said of Rodriguez, who entered the game in the seventh as a defensive replacement. "And you always like to see guys find some rewards along the way."

Murphy's homer finished Morton. Joe Blanton (4-0) came on and retired the five batters he faced. Joakim Soria, Tony Watson and Arquimedes Caminero completed the bullpen bridge.

Bergman has filled a long relief role for the Rockies and made his second start of the season, replacing injured Jorge De La Rosa. The Pirates roughed Bergman up for 10 hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. He threw 47 pitches in his last appearance Saturday and had not thrown 50 pitches since Aug. 3. He threw 79 pitches then left in the fourth after Marte's two-run double.

"'Bergy' was OK," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He went about as far as we could with him. He hadn't been in that territory for a long time, around 80 pitches. So I tried to extend him. I knew the 'pen was short tonight. He got some pitches in the middle of the plate that they hit hard, but it was his first start in a long time."

NOTES: Pirates manager Clint Hurdle announced that LHP J.A. Happ, RHP Charlie Morton and RHP Gerrit Cole will start in the three-game series with the Cardinals that begins Monday in Pittsburgh. ... Rockies CF Brandon Barnes left the game in the sixth with a mild left hamstring strain. ... Rockies RHP Jon Gray has reached his innings limit and will not pitch the rest of the season. He threw 155 innings overall, including 40 2/3 with the Rockies in nine starts, a 25 percent increase from 124 1/3 innings last year. ... Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa will not start for the remainder of the season because of right Achilles tendinitis that caused him to be scratched from a scheduled start Friday. ... Rockies RHPs Tyler Chatwood (elbow) and Jordan Lyles (toe) threw simulated games and will report to the Arizona Instructional League on Friday. ... Colorado CF Charlie Blackmon was scratched because of neck stiffness, and 3B Nolan Arenado was out due to a head ailment. ... Pirates 3B Aramis Ramirez was not in the lineup. He left Tuesday's game with left groin tightness.