LOS ANGELES (AP) - Travis Wood outpitched Clayton Kershaw in a matchup of All-Star lefties, and Dioner Navarro and Starlin Castro had run-scoring singles to help the Chicago Cubs beat the Dodgers 3-2 Tuesday night, snapping an eight-game skid against first-place Los Angeles.
After losing 6-2 against Zack Greinke in the series opener, the Cubs caught Kershaw on a decidedly off-night for the ace who came in with a major league-leading 1.72 ERA. Kershaw's streak of 18 scoreless innings, dating to Aug. 17, ended in the third when the Cubs took a 1-0 lead.
Wood (8-10) allowed one unearned run and five hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked two for his first victory since July 28 at San Francisco.
Kevin Gregg pitched the ninth to earn his 27th save in 32 chances.
METS 5, PHILLIES 0
NEW YORK (AP) - Jonathon Niese pitched a three-hitter and had a three-run double, helping the Mets end a five-game losing streak.
Niese struck out five and walked one in his second career shutout in 112 major league starts. The Mets won several hours after trading veterans Marlon Byrd and John Buck to Pittsburgh.
Niese (6-6) handled matters at the plate and on the mound. He retired 17 straight batters and scored the first run by running through third base coach Tim Teufel's late stop sign.
Niese improved to 3-0 in four starts since coming off the disabled list because of a partially torn rotator cuff.
The Phillies had won five of their last six under interim manager Ryne Sandberg. Kyle Kendrick (10-11) went six innings and allowed five runs, only one earned.
CARDINALS 6, REDS 1
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Joe Kelly tossed six strong innings, and Matt Holliday drove in a run for a seventh straight game, lifting St. Louis over Cincinnati.
St. Louis has won six of seven, including the first two games of this three-game set. The first-place Cardinals have won eight of their last 10 against the third-place Reds and lead them by 4 1/2 games in the NL Central.
The Cards also moved 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Pittsburgh.
Shin-Soo Choo homered for Cincinnati, which lost for the fourth time in five games. The Cardinals retired the last 13 Cincinnati batters, dropping the Reds to 4-10 against St. Louis this season.
Kelly (6-3), who allowed one run and eight hits, improved to 6-0 in nine starts since rejoining the starting rotation on July 6.
Holliday, who went 2 for 3, keyed a two-run outburst in the first against Mat Latos (13-5), who gave up four runs and nine hits over six-plus innings.
BREWERS 7, PIRATES 6
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Aramis Ramirez had three hits, including his 350th career home run, and drove in four runs as Milwaukee edged Pittsburgh.
The 16-year veteran third baseman helped stake the Brewers to a 5-0 in the fifth inning, but the Pirates rallied to tie it in the sixth. Milwaukee pulled out the win when rookie pinch-hitter Caleb Gindl hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
With the game tied 6-6, Rafael Betancourt hit a one-out double off Bryan Morris (5-7) and took third on Scooter Gennett's single. Gindl then lifted a fly to right that scored Betancourt and gave the Brewers their third victory in four games.
Pittsburgh, which trails St. Louis in the NL Central race, lost its third in a row.
Pedro Alvarez went 4-for-4 with a walk, and hit his NL-leading 32nd home run for the Pirates.
Rob Wooten (3-0) allowed Alvarez's homer but pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win.
DIAMONDBACKS 10, PADRES 9, 10 INNINGS
PHOENIX (AP) - Aaron Hill lined a game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning to give Arizona the victory.
With Hill at-bat and runners on second and third, the Padres employed a five-man infield. Hill lined a shot over the head of left fielder Yonder Alonzo for his eighth career game-ending hit.
Adam Eaton opened the 10th with a single to center, and Paul Goldschmidt singled to left before Hill won it against Dale Thayer (2-4).
The Diamondbacks played their 20th extra-inning game this season, second only to the 21 they had in 1999. Arizona is 15-5 in this season's long contests.
San Diego dropped to 7-6 in extra innings.
Heath Bell (5-2) pitched a perfect 10th inning for the win.
NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 1
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ross Ohlendorf pitched into the sixth inning, Ian Desmond had three hits, and Washington beat Miami.
Ohlendorf (3-0) pitched five innings of two-hit ball before Christian Yelich led off the sixth with his second homer, ending the starter's outing. It was Ohlendorf's second start since he was sidelined by right shoulder inflammation.
Tanner Roark, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard each pitched a hitless inning before Rafael Soriano finished the four-hitter for his 34th save.
Washington kicked off a six-game homestand with its sixth victory in seven games.
Yelich had two hits for Miami, which has lost six of seven. Nathan Eovaldi (2-5) allowed two runs - both in the first - and eight hits in six innings.
GIANTS 5, ROCKIES 3
DENVER (AP) - Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval hit back-to-back homers, and Yusmeiro Petit won his first game in four years, helping San Francisco beat Colorado.
Pence and Sandoval went deep in the opening inning, marking the first time all season the Giants have hit back-to-back homers.
Brandon Belt had four singles and scored twice for San Francisco, which won for the third time in four games.
Petit (1-0) was recently called up from Triple-A Fresno to fill in for Matt Cain, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list last week. Petit lasted six innings, allowed six hits and two runs.
Sergio Romo pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save in 36 chances.
Chad Bettis (0-3) settled down after a rough start, allowing four runs and nine hits over six innings. He is still searching for his first major league victory.
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INTERLEAGUE
BRAVES 2, INDIANS 0
ATLANTA (AP) - Rookie Alex Wood pitched five-plus strong innings, Elliot Johnson had a two-run triple, and Atlanta held off Cleveland.
The Braves have won two straight, improving the majors' best record to 79-52. They have won 14 of 17 at Turner Field and own baseball's home mark at 45-18.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 42nd save, most in the majors, in 45 chances.
Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Brian McCann walked with one out and advanced to third on Joey Terdoslavich's single to right field. Both runners scored when Johnson tripled over Stubbs near the wall in right.
Wood (3-2) allowed five hits, a career-high four walks and struck out five in 5 2-3 innings. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his past six starts.
Cleveland had won two straight and five of six, but lost despite holding Atlanta to just three hits. Rookie Danny Salazar (1-2) gave up three hits, two runs and two walks in four innings. The right-hander struck out three.