ATLANTA (AP) - Kris Medlen struck out a career-high 13 and the Atlanta Braves pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals when Andrelton Simmons scored on a throwing error in the ninth inning Friday night.
Simmons reached on an infield single against Sean Burnett (1-2) and scurried to third when Michael Bourn lined a single that dropped in right field. Pinch-hitter Tyler Pastornicky hit a one-hop grounder to shortstop Ian Desmond, who had a shot at getting Simmons but threw wildly to the plate, the ball skipping all the way to the backstop while the rookie slid across with the winning run.
Craig Kimbrel (2-1) earned the win by striking out the side in the top of the ninth on 10 pitches, though Medlen did most of the heavy lifting. He went seven innings, allowing only a homer to Bryce Harper as the Braves snapped a three-game losing streak.
Medlen eclipsed the previous best for strikeouts set 11 days earlier when he fanned 12 in a complete-game win over Colorado. In his last two starts at Turner Field, he has 25 strikeouts in 16 innings.
The Braves also extended his franchise record by winning for the 20th straight time when Medlen is on the mound. That is the longest since the New York Yankees won 20 starts in a row by Roger Clemens in 2001.
MARLINS 4, REDS 0
MIAMI (AP) - Jacob Turner allowed only two hits in a career-high seven innings for his first National League victory, and Miami beat the NL Central-leading Cincinnati.
Turner (1-2) outpitched Bronson Arroyo (12-8), who gave up four runs in six innings.
The Reds became the final NL team to make their debut at Marlins Park, and they couldn't muster much offense in the spacious ballpark. Steve Cishek pitched the ninth to complete a three-hitter, and Cincinnati was shut out for only the third time, fewest in the NL.
Turner's 10th career start was his best yet. He walked two, struck out three, lowered his ERA to 3.75 and helped the Marlins break a three-game losing streak. The 21-year-old right-hander's only other career victory came July 22 for Detroit.
CUBS 7, PIRATES 4
CHICAGO (AP) - Pittsburgh lost its seventh straight game and kept fading in the NL wild-card race, falling to Chicago as Starlin Castro hit a three-run homer.
The Pirates have dropped 11 of 13 overall. The Cubs have won four straight against the Pirates, including a three-game sweep last weekend in Pittsburgh.
Chris Rusin (1-2) notched his first major league victory, allowing two runs in five-plus innings in his fourth career start. The Cubs led 4-3 in the sixth before Castro connected after Luis Valbuena walked and Alfonso Soriano was hit by a pitch.
Andrew McCutchen homered in the Pittsburgh seventh, but Cubs reliever Shawn Camp tossed a perfect eighth and Carlos Marmol earned his 20th save in 22 chances.
Pirates starter James McDonald (12-8) lasted 3 2-3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks. He is 2-5 in his last 10 starts.
PHILLIES 12, ASTROS 6
HOUSTON (AP) - Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff homer, Domonic Brown had a two-run shot and John Mayberry and Ryan Howard each had three RBIs to help Philadelphia beat Houston.
The Phillies rebounded from Thursday night's 6-4 loss to Houston, which broke a seven-game winning streak and left them four games back for the second NL wild-card spot.
Rollins' homer keyed a four-run first inning on a night when the Phillies came one run shy of a season high. A two-run homer by Matt Downs got Houston within 5-3 in the fourth. Mayberry's two-run single in the fifth stretched the lead to 7-3. Justin Maxwell added a solo shot in the fifth for the last-place Astros.
Cole Hamels (15-6) gave up four runs and seven hits over seven innings, and tied a career high for wins set in 2007. Edgar Gonzalez (2-1), starting in place of Bud Norris, needed 32 pitches to get through the first inning and was done after the fourth.
METS 7, BREWERS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Lucas Duda homered and doubled, Jonathon Niese pitched six strong innings and New York snapped a six-game losing streak, beating surging Milwaukee.
The loss dropped Milwaukee back to .500 at 72-72.
Niese (11-9), who had lost three straight starts, settled down after giving up two second-inning runs, allowing six hits, three walks and the two runs. He also had two hits and scored a run, helping the Mets to their biggest offensive output since a 9-5 extra-inning victory over Philadelphia on Aug. 28.
Daniel Murphy also homered for New York.
Mike Fiers (9-8) gave up six hits and four runs in five innings for Milwaukee, which had won 18 of 23 coming in.
DODGERS 8, CARDINALS 5
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Luis Cruz greeted St. Louis reliever Edwin Mujica with a first-pitch, three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Dodgers tightened up the NL wild card race with a victory over the Cardinals.
Trevor Rosenthal (0-2) inherited a 4-3 lead from fellow rookie Joe Kelly after five innings and gave up a leadoff single by Andre Ethier, who got the Dodgers back into the game in the third with a two-run homer. Rosenthal hit Hanley Ramirez on a 1-0 count two outs later and manager Mike Matheny made the switch to Mujica - who has given up 17 runs and six homers in 21 1-3 career innings against the Dodgers.
Adrian Gonzalez made it 8-4 with a two-run double in the seventh off the glove of a diving Holliday.
ROCKIES 7, PADRES 4
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Rookies Wilin Rosario and Jordan Pacheco had consecutive two-run doubles in the first inning to lead the Rockies to a win over the Padres.
Chris Nelson and rookie Charlie Blackmon each hit solo homers as the Rockies won for just the third time in 11 games. Carlos Gonzalez tied his career high with four hits.
Rosario and Pacheco's big hits keyed a five-run first inning in which Colorado sent 10 men to the plate against Andrew Cashner (3-4).
Guillermo Moscoso (3-1), the second of five Rockies relievers, allowed two hits in 1 2-3 scoreless innings. Rafael Betancourt pitched the ninth for his 29th saves in 34 chances.
GIANTS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 2
PHOENIX (AP) - Hunter Pence hit a grand slam, Matt Cain dodged trouble for five-plus innings and the Giants beat the Diamondbacks.
Cain (14-5) walked three in the first and stranded five runners over the first two innings. He failed to make it through six innings for the second time in his last three starts.
The right-hander allowed four hits, walked a season-high five and also hit a batter. He was charged with one run and struck out two.
Buster Posey and reliever Santiago Casilla each drove in a run for the NL West-leading Giants, who won for the third time in four games and are 11-5 in their past 16.
Chris Johnson drove in both runs for the Diamondbacks.