Backup catcher Brian Schneider’s two-run triple sent the Phillies toward their fifth straight win. The two-time NL champions, still minus injured All-Star second baseman Chase Utley , pulled within 4 1/2 games of idle East-leading Atlanta.
Seth Smith hit a two-out, two-run homer off Lidge in the ninth and Colorado went on to load the bases, but Ryan Spilborghs hit a tapper to the left side of the plate. Lidge came in and made a strong throw to first base for the final out, getting his 10th save in 13 chances.
Joe Blanton (4-6) won for the first time since beating Cleveland on June 24.
The Phillies took the lead for good by scoring three times in the second against Jason Hammel (7-6).
At Milwaukee, pinch-hitter Jim Edmonds homered with two outs in the eighth after just missing a go-ahead shot on the previous pitch and Milwaukee rallied to beat Cincinnati.
Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer in the third inning as Milwaukee won its fifth straight to match a season-best streak after trailing 2-0 early.
Edmonds has been unable to play the field since his right Achilles’ tendon tightened Saturday night, but he didn’t need to run hard after his at-bat against Bronson Arroyo (10-6) in the eighth.
Edmonds hit a big blast off a fastball, dropping the bat only to watch his shot sail foul. He sent the next pitch over the Reds’ bullpen in right-center field.
Reliever Carlos Villanueva (1-0) got the win.
At Houston, Geovany Soto drove in two runs and Alfonso Soriano had two doubles and an RBI to help the Cubs beat the Astros.
Cubs starter Carlos Silva (10-4) yielded five hits and one run with four strikeouts. Carlos Marmol allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth inning for his 19th save in 23 opportunities.
Soto bruised his left foot and left the game in the middle of the sixth inning after fouling a pitch off of it earlier in the inning.
Derrek Lee doubled with one out in the third inning and scored when Marlon Byrd grounded into a force out. Byrd scored when Soriano hit his second double of the game that made it 4-1.
Converted reliever Wesley Wright (0-1) allowed eight hits and four runs in five innings in his second career major league start.
At San Francisco, Dan Uggla and Mike Stanton each hit solo homers and Florida moved above the .500 mark for the first time since early June.
Ricky Nolasco (11-7) struck out seven and allowed four hits and one run in 6 1-3 strong innings to win for the sixth time in seven starts. Cody Ross had a sacrifice fly and Stanton added an insurance RBI double in the eighth.
Barry Zito (8-6), the first of three lefty starters Florida will face this series, lost for the first time in seven career starts against the Marlins and the Giants had their four-game winning streak snapped. This series is a matchup of two surging teams trying to stay in the playoff chase.
Florida is 50-49, above .500 for the first time since the club was 28-27 on June 3.
