The Phillies, who have won 13 of 17 games, are 2 1/2 games behind the Braves in the NL East.

Halladay (16-8) won his sixth straight while allowing eight hits, striking out five and walking three, matching a season high. It was the ninth time this season he hasn’t allowed a run and the 25th time in 26 starts he has pitched six or more innings.

The Phillies, who managed just four hits, scored their lone run off Jason Marquis (0-6) in the third inning on Raul Ibanez’s RBI double.

At Chicago, Rick Ankiel hit a bases-loaded triple off a wild Carlos Marmol with two out in the ninth inning, sending Derrek Lee and the Braves to a victory over the Cubs.

Marmol entered with a 3-2 lead and walked three of the first four batters he faced. After Melky Cabrera struck out, Ankiel lined a 2-2 pitch into the right-field corner.

Lee, traded to the Braves on Wednesday after nearly seven seasons with the Cubs, received a standing ovation before his first at-bat and went 0 for 4 in his first game with Atlanta. The big first baseman struck out, flied out and lined out against best buddy Ryan Dempster before striking out against Marmol for the first out of the ninth.

At Pittsburgh, David Wright and Jose Reyes each had three of the Mets’ slump-ending 15 hits, Mike Pelfrey pitched eight innings and New York assured the Pirates of their record-extending 18th consecutive losing season.

Chris Carter homered and drove in two runs a night after the Mets were limited to three hits during a 3-2 loss in Houston, causing Mets manager Jerry Manuel to call his offense “pathetic.”

Think how Manuel would feel if he managed the Pirates, whose 82nd loss — they’ve won 40 times — guaranteed them of extending the longest streak of consecutive losing seasons in major American pro sports history. They’d never done it this soon, either; previously, the earliest they had secured such a season was on Aug. 27, 2001.

At Miami, Anibal Sanchez pitched seven scoreless innings and Cody Ross and Hector Luna hit back-to-back homers to power the Marlins to a win over the Astros.

Dan Uggla and Emilio Bonifacio each drove in a pair of runs for the Marlins, who have won four straight.

Sanchez (10-8) allowed three hits and one walk while striking out five. He is 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA in four starts against the Astros.

J.A. Happ (3-2) retired 10 straight before a 37-minute rain delay. He was charged with three runs in six innings and struck out six.

At St. Louis, rookie Madison Bumgarner pitched into the eighth inning and the Giants got home runs from Pablo Sandoval and Aubrey Huff, sending the Cardinals to their season-worst fifth straight loss.

Albert Pujols hit his 398th career homer for the Cardinals, who led the NL Central by a game after a dramatic sweep of the Reds on Aug. 11, but have dropped five of six since then and began the night 3 1/2 games behind Cincinnati. Pedro Feliz singled and scored twice and handled two chances at third base in his debut with St. Louis.

Buster Posey doubled twice with an RBI off Jake Westbrook (1-1) for the Giants, who have won two straight after dropping four of the previous five to stay in the thick of the wild card picture.

At Milwaukee, Casey McGehee homered and drove in four runs, and the Brewers piled up 15 hits against baseball’s top pitching staff to snap the Padres’ five-game winning streak.

The Padres, owners of the best record in the National League at 73-48 and leading the NL West by five games, had won 10 of 11.

The hits were the most against the Padres since St. Louis tallied 15 in an 8-3 victory May 27. The Giants had 18 hits against San Diego in a 7-6, 12-inning win on May 18.

The 10 runs were the most scored against San Diego since the Padres lost 10-8 to Colorado on July 9.

At Phoenix, Kelly Johnson doubled in Justin Upton from first base with one out in the 10th inning and the Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Rockies.

Trailing 3-1 in the ninth inning, the Diamondbacks rallied for two runs to force extra innings. Johnson singled and Chris Young walked. Colorado closer Huston Street struck out the next two batters and then had Miguel Montero at a 1-2 count before he doubled to right to tie the game.

Street blew his fourth save of the year and spoiled a good performance from starter Esmil Rogers , who scattered six hits over a career high 6 1-3 innings. Aaron Heilman (4-4) earned the win with a scoreless 10th inning, and Joe Beimel (1-2) took the loss.

At Los Angeles, Homer Bailey pitched seven solid innings in his second start for the suspended Johnny Cueto , Brandon Phillips backed him with three hits and three RBIs and the Reds beat the Dodgers for their season-high seventh straight victory.

The win, coupled with St. Louis’ home loss to San Francisco, increased Cincinnati’s lead in the NL Central to 4 1/2 games — the Reds’ largest margin since May 18, 2002, when they held a five-game lead before finishing in third place. They are seeking their first division title since 1995, when they swept the Dodgers in the first round of the postseason.

Bailey (3-2) allowed a run and four hits, struck out six and walked two in his second outing after coming off the disabled list.