Arizona beat the NL Central leaders for the first time in five games this season.
Hudson (7-2) gave up four hits and fanned eight before leaving with a 3-0 lead. He also had a run-scoring single off left-hander Travis Wood (5-3), who continued his fade. Wood lasted only five innings, giving up nine hits — eight of them singles.
A night after they drew a season-low 12,061 fans, the Reds sold 16,973 tickets for one of their pet promotion games — fans were allowed to bring dogs.
In New York, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey took a three-hitter into the ninth inning and Carlos Beltran and the Mets feasted on Zach Duke and the Pirates.
Dickey’s tricky pitch was no match for the inexperienced Pittsburgh Pirates. He didn’t allow an extra-base hit until pinch-hitter Pedro Ciriaco tripled to lead off the ninth. John Bowker’s grounder to shortstop ended the shutout bid. The 35-year-old Dickey (11-6) finished the five-hitter for the third complete game of his career.
The Pirates lost their 57th road game and must win three of their final nine away games to avoid matching the 1963 Mets for the worst road record (17-64) in a 162-game season.
In Atlanta, Livan Hernandez homered and limited Atlanta to five hits in eight innings to help the Nationals to a win over the Braves, ending a six-game losing streak.
Hernandez (10-11) walked two, struck out six and hit a batter. Only one runner reached second.
The 35-year-old right-hander varied his pitches from a 61 mph curve in the second inning to Derrek Lee to nothing faster than an 85 mph fastball. He threw 118 pitches, 75 strikes.
Sean Burnett pitched a hitless ninth for the Nationals.
In St. Louis, Randy Wells allowed five hits over eight innings and had two hits and two RBIs to help the Cubs deny Adam Wainwright’s bid for a 19th win in a victory over the slumping Cardinals.
Xavier Nady had three hits and three RBIs and Darwin Barney had three hits and an RBI in a 15-hit attack for the Cubs, who have outscored St. Louis 12-3 while taking the first two games of a three-game series. The Cardinals remained seven games behind NL Central-leading Cincinnati with 19 games to go.
The Cardinals managed six hits, including an RBI double by Matt Holliday in the fourth and Colby Rasmus’ 22nd homer in the ninth off Sean Marshall , without the three-time NL MVP.
In Miami, Cole Hamels had a season-high 13 strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings, and the Phillies increased their lead in the NL East to two games by beating Florida.
Hamels (11-10) threw a career-high 127 pitches and allowed only one run. The left-hander won his fourth consecutive start and won for the first time in seven career starts in Miami.
Philadelphia increased its cushion in the division when second-place Atlanta lost to Washington 6-0.
Shane Victorino scored both runs for the Phillies, who totaled only five hits and won despite going 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
Florida ended Hamels’ streak of 25 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings in the first, bunching three hits, including Dan Uggla’s RBI infield single. But the Marlins managed only three hits the rest of the way.
In Houston, rookie Chris Johnson hit a three-run homer in the first inning and the Astros held on for a win over the Brewers.
Houston has won three in a row and 11 of its last 15 games.
Astros starter Bud Norris (8-8) allowed one run and three hits in a 7 1-3 innings. He struck out seven and won for the sixth time in seven decisions.
Closer Brandon Lyon gave up a solo homer to Casey McGehee in the ninth inning to make it 3-2 before retiring the next three batters for his 16th save.
Johnson’s two-out shot off Chris Capuano (3-4) bounced off the train that sits atop the wall in left-center field.
In Denver, Jon Garland threw seven sharp innings, pinch-hitter Matt Stairs hit a two-run homer in the eighth and the Padres hung on to beat the Rockies to maintain their slim lead in the NL West.
The Padres moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants, who lost to the Dodgers.
The Rockies, who had their 10-game winning streak halted the night before, tumbled again, dropping them 3 1/2 games behind San Diego. They remain 3 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL wild-card race after the Braves were beaten 6-0 by Washington.
San Diego tweaked the lineup Tuesday, inserting Aaron Cunningham into the leadoff spot. The results were immediate as Cunningham finished with three hits, including a double, and two runs scored.
In San Francisco, Barry Zito’s winless streak reached a career-worst 12 outings and he lost his seventh straight game because of an error by Juan Uribe , and the Giants fell to the Dodgers.
The Giants, coming off a 7-3 road trip in which they took three of four at San Diego, dropped 1 1/2 games behind first-place San Diego in the NL West. San Diego held off Colorado 7-6 at Coors Field. The Rockies are 3 1/2 games behind San Diego and two behind San Francisco in the division standings. The Giants remained 1 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL wild card after the Braves lost 6-0 to the Nationals.
Clayton Kershaw (12-10) pitched a four-hitter for his first career complete game and shutout.
Zito (8-13) lost his career-high seventh straight game.
