David Freese broke out of an extended slump with two hits, including a two-run homer, as St. Louis pulled into a virtual tie with the Pirates in the crowded NL Central standings.
Chris Carpenter (6-7) gave up four runs in eight innings to win his fourth straight decision for the Cardinals. Fernando Salas pitched the ninth inning to collect his 18th save.
Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm (6-10) had won four straight games at PNC Park, but a sloppy first inning sent him to his first home loss in two months.
In Cincinnati, Dan Uggla's first career pinch-hit home run lifted the Braves to a win over the Reds.
Uggla, who missed the last two starts with a strained left calf, batted with two outs in the ninth inning for reliever Jonny Venters (5-1) with Alex Gonzalez on second base. He lofted a 3-2 pitch from Nick Masset (1-4) 402 feet into the right-center field seats for the go-ahead runs.
Uggla's 18th homer of the season also extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games.
Rookie Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 31st save.
The Reds still haven't won back-to-back games since sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series June 13-15.
In Philadelphia, Cole Hamels tossed eight dominant innings and the Phillies beat the Padres for the eighth straight time.
Hamels (12-5) allowed one run and three hits, striking out 10. The All-Star lefty bounced back from a rough outing last Saturday against the Mets, retiring the last 10 batters he faced. He's tied with Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens for the most wins in the NL.
Ryan Madson finished for his 16th save in 17 tries. It was Madson's first save since coming off the disabled list last week.
The major league-leading Phillies (62-36) are a season-best 26 games over .500.
Padres starter Cory Luebke (3-4) gave up three runs-two earned-and six hits in five innings.
In Chicago, Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano hit fifth-inning homers and Chicago beat Houston.
Ramirez's 18th homer, a two-run shot, capped Chicago's four-run rally in the inning. Ramirez's 13 homers since June 24 are the most in the majors.
Soriano started the inning with his 15th of the season.
Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano (7-5) won for just the second time since May 26. He went six innings, allowing nine hits and two runs, striking out three and walking one.
Houston's Bud Norris (5-7) gave up nine hits in 6 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and striking out five.
Five Cubs relievers combined for three scoreless innings. Sean Marshall pitched the ninth for his third save.
In San Francisco, Jonathan Lucroy and Yuniesky Betancourt drove in two runs each, and the Brewers held on to beat the Giants.
Shaun Marcum (9-3) pitched seven solid innings to push the Brewers back into first place in the crowded NL Central standings. Pittsburgh and St. Louis are one game back.
Lucroy's two-run single highlighted a three-run second inning off Matt Cain (8-6) that gave the Brewers a big lift with All-Star Ryan Braun getting the night off to rest his strained left calf.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect eighth and John Axford held the Giants scoreless in the ninth for his 27th save.
In Miami, David Wright came off the disabled list swinging, and his two RBI doubles Friday helped the Mets beat the Marlins.
The five-time All-Star was activated before the game after being sidelined for two months with a back injury. He doubled home the Mets' first run in the first inning, then put them ahead to stay with a run-scoring double in the eighth. Wright also scored twice.
Daniel Murphy drove in two runs with a single and a double for the Mets. Jose Reyes had two hits to keep his NL-leading average at .349.
Florida's Emilio Bonifacio extended his hitting streak to 21 games and later scored from first on a single. But he and Steve Cishek committed errors that helped the Mets score two unearned runs.
In Phoenix, Aaron Cook earned his first victory of the season, and Dexter Fowler and Mark Ellis each had three hits and drove in a run as the Rockies beat the Diamondbacks.
Cook (1-5) allowed four runs and eight hits for his first win since Sept. 8, 2010, against Cincinnati. He also went 2 for 3, scoring a run and driving in another.
Fowler finished 3 for 5, needing only a home run for the cycle, and scored twice. Ellis was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Troy Tulowitzki also doubled and drove in a pair of runs for the Rockies, who have won three of their past four.
Geoff Blum hit his first home run for the Diamondbacks, who have lost three of four. Daniel Hudson (10-6) took the loss.
In Los Angeles, John Lannan hit his first major league home run and Jerry Hairston Jr. broke the game open with a ninth-inning grand slam to help the Nationals beat the Dodgers.
Lannan (7-6) allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1-3 innings with six strikeouts and four walks to win for the fifth time in his last six decisions. The left-hander has a 2.28 ERA over his last 11 starts since giving up six runs in an 8-3 loss at Baltimore on May 21.
Hiroki Kuroda (6-12) gave up three runs, seven hits and three walks in 6 1-3 innings.
Lannan, listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, increased the margin to 3-0 in the second with a shot that just cleared the right field fence.
