MILWAUKEE (AP) - Ryan Braun singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh and the slumping Milwaukee Brewers rallied for a much-needed 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday that snapped their skid at five.
Trailing 2-1, Milwaukee strung together three consecutive hits with two out in the seventh to keep its dwindling NL Central lead at six with 14 games left.
The Phillies could have clinched a playoff spot with a win and a St. Louis loss. The Cardinals beat the Braves 6-3.
Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo (16-10) matched a career high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings. John Axford worked the ninth for his 42nd save.
Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard homered in the sixth for the Phillies, who had won six straight. Vance Worley (11-2) got the loss.
The major league-leading Phillies remain 12 games ahead of Atlanta in the NL East and could wrap up their fifth straight division title as soon as Wednesday.
Cardinals 6, Braves 3
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Yadier Molina had three hits, including a three-run double, and the Cardinals moved back into the playoff picture by completing a three-game sweep of the slumping Braves.
The Cardinals pulled within 4 1/2 games of NL wild card-leading Atlanta. They have 16 games left and open a three-game set in Pittsburgh on Monday. The Braves start a three-game series with the Marlins on Monday and have 15 games remaining.
Atlanta has dropped seven straight games at Busch Stadium and hasn't won in St. Louis since Sept. 13, 2009.
Jake Westbrook (12-8) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings for the Cardinals. Jason Motte pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save in eight chances.
Braves star Chipper Jones hit a solo drive in the eighth for his 17th homer of the season and No. 453 for his career, moving him ahead of Carl Yastrzemski and into 33rd place. Tim Hudson (14-10) got the loss.
Padres 7, Diamondbacks 6
PHOENIX (AP) - Nick Hundley homered and the Padres snapped the Diamondbacks' franchise-record home winning streak at 15 games.
Hundley, Jesus Guzman and James Darnell had two RBIs apiece for the Padres, who ended a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in seven games.
San Diego starter Wade LeBlanc (3-5) went 5 2-3 innings and allowed four runs and four hits. The left-hander is 1-3 with a 6.97 ERA in his last four outings.
Heath Bell, who allowed two homers in the ninth on Saturday, got three outs for his 37th save in 42 chances.
Henry Blanco homered and Chris Young added a two-run double for the NL West-leading Diamondbacks. Josh Collmenter (9-9) gave up six runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.
Giants 8, Dodgers 1
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Madison Bumgarner won his fourth straight start, Pablo Sandoval doubled home the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and San Francisco avoided a three-game sweep.
Bumgarner (11-12) struck out eight and allowed three hits in five innings, matching the longest winning streak of his career and improving to 8-3 with a 2.73 ERA since June 26.
The defending World Series champions trail NL West-leading Arizona by 8 1/2 games.
Tony Gwynn Jr. doubled in the Dodgers' run but struck out with the potential tying run at second base in the sixth. Los Angeles lost for only the third time in 13 games.
Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda (11-16) allowed three runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings.
Nationals 8, Astros 2
WASHINGTON (AP) - Stephen Strasburg allowed one run over three innings in his second start back from Tommy John surgery, and the Nationals hit three consecutive home runs.
Strasburg didn't display the same efficiency he did in his return Tuesday. The right-hander needed 31 pitches to get out of the first inning, although he settled down and finished with six straight outs. He allowed three hits and struck out four in his 57-pitch outing.
Ian Desmond, Rick Ankiel and Ryan Zimmerman all went deep off Henry Sosa (2-4) to start the Nationals' third inning.
The Astros (49-97) tied the franchise mark for most losses in a season.
To mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Washington wore special blue jerseys with a stars-and-stripes background for the team's 'W' logo. Two red, blue and white logos were painted on the field in foul territory along the base lines, with the date "September 11, 2001" and the words: "We shall not forget."
Tom Gorzelanny (3-6) followed Strasburg and pitched three scoreless innings, giving up one hit.
Rockies 4, Reds 1
DENVER (AP) - Prized prospect Drew Pomeranz threw five shutout innings in his major league debut and Ty Wigginton homered for Colorado.
Pomeranz (1-0) was a key piece in the deal that sent ace Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland at the trade deadline. He showed why the Rockies coveted him, allowing just two singles.
Edinson Volquez (5-5) was effective in his first start since July 5, not allowing a hit until Wigginton's homer to left in the fourth. He later gave up an RBI single to Jordan Pacheco.
Wigginton wasn't in the original starting lineup. But when Carlos Gonzalez was scratched with lower back stiffness, Wigginton went in to play left field.
Jason Hammel, a starter turned reliever, pitched four innings to earn his first save of the season. He surrendered a homer to Joey Votto in the ninth.
Marlins 4, Pirates 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Javier Vazquez added to his last-season surge by pitching six scoreless innings, helping the Marlins complete a season sweep of the Pirates.
Vazquez struck out seven, allowed three hits and walked two while improving to 4-2 with a 1.95 ERA in his last nine starts.
Florida went 6-0 against the Pirates this year, including all three games this weekend for their first series sweep in Pittsburgh since 2000, the year before PNC Park opened. The Marlins have won 14 of their last 16 against Pittsburgh overall.
Donnie Murphy capped Florida's four-run fifth inning with a two-run double against James McDonald (9-8).
Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth for his 34th save in 40 opportunities.