ST. LOUIS (AP) - The St. Louis Cardinals blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning and hurt their wild-card hopes when shortstop Rafael Furcal misplayed a potential double-play grounder, allowing the New York Mets to rally for an 8-6 win Thursday.
Ahead 6-2, the Cardinals walked three batters in helping the Mets take the lead with a six-run burst. Willie Harris drew a walk to begin the inning and capped it with a tiebreaking, two-run single with two outs.
The loss dropped St. Louis two games behind idle Atlanta for the wild card. Each team has six games left. The Cardinals lost for only the third time in 16 games.
The Mets, who had lost nine of their previous 11, came back against three St. Louis relievers.
Jason Motte walked three of the five batters he faced, including pinch-hitter Justin Turner with the bases loaded. Marc Rzepczynski (0-3) allowed Jose Reyes' RBI single.
Manny Acosta (4-1) won.
Nationals 6, Phillies 1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Brad Peacock, making just his second major league start, pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings and Michael Morse hit a three-run homer.
Roger Bernadina drove in two runs for the Nationals (76-79), who handed the division champions their sixth straight loss. Washington has won five straight overall and eight in a row on the road, and needs to win five of its last six for the organization's first season over .500 since 2003.
Carlos Ruiz had three hits and an RBI for the Phillies (98-58), who clinched their fifth straight NL East title on Saturday night but haven't won since. The season-high six-game skid is Philadelphia's longest since June 2009, and it was the first time the Phillies have been swept in a series of more than two games since last August.
Philadelphia played all but three regulars, resting first baseman Ryan Howard, right fielder Hunter Pence and third baseman Placido Polanco, and continued to have trouble offensively. The Phillies managed just four hits off Peacock and five relievers.
Astros 9, Rockies 6
HOUSTON (AP) - Carlos Lee doubled and drove in four runs, pinch-hitter Matt Downs knocked in three more and the Astros beat Colorado, extending the Rockies' losing streak to a season-high eight games.
Houston starter Henry Sosa (3-5) yielded a season-high nine hits but allowed just three runs in 6 1-3 innings to end a three-game losing streak.
Wilin Rosario doubled and hit a three-run homer in the eighth to cut Houston's lead to 8-6 and Kevin Kouzmanoff had a solo shot in the seventh.
Rockies starter Alex White (2-3), acquired in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade with Cleveland, allowed six hits and five runs with six strikeouts in 4 2-3 innings. He hit two batters and threw two wild pitches.
Dodgers 8, Giants 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Matt Kemp went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and a career-high three doubles in his final home game of the season, Juan Rivera homered and drove in three runs and the Dodgers beat San Francisco, pushing the Giants to the brink of elimination in the NL West playoff race.
The Giants open a three-game series at first-place Arizona on Friday and a victory by the Diamondbacks, who were idle Thursday, would eliminate the defending World Series champions.
The Dodgers moved a game over .500 with Hall of Famer Tom Lasorda serving as honorary coach of the team he managed to two World Series titles during his 20-year tenure.
Hiroki Kuroda (13-16) allowed two runs and five hits in seven-plus innings to extend his career high in wins.
Madison Bumgarner (12-13) gave up four runs and nine hits in four innings, struck out one and walked none to snap his five-game winning streak.