The NL East-leading Phillies are on pace for their best season in franchise history and could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday with a win and a loss by St. Louis.
Hunter Pence and Placido Polanco homered for the Phillies, who are 12 games ahead of Atlanta in the division.
Casey McGehee scored a run and drove in another off Phillies starter Cliff Lee to end his scoreless innings streak at 30 2-3.
In St. Louis, Lance Berkman had a single, RBI double and walk — reaching base seven straight times over two games — and St. Louis inched closer in the NL wild card race by beating Atlanta.
Jaime Garcia (12-7) worked six efficient innings, and Rafael Furcal had two hits and his 300th career steal for the Cardinals, who doubled four times and scored four runs in the first three innings against Derek Lowe (9-14).
In Phoenix, Chris Young and Lyle Overbay homered off Heath Bell in the ninth to send the game into extra innings, then Joe Thatcher walked in the winning run in the 10th to give Arizona a victory over San Diego.
The Diamondbacks stretched their franchise-record, home-winning streak to 15 games — the longest in the majors this season. They have won 16 of 19 overall.
It was the 42nd come-from-behind victory for the Diamondbacks, the runaway NL West leaders who pulled a half-game ahead of NL Central leader Milwaukee.
In San Francisco, Dana Eveland combined with two relievers to throw a six-hitter, and Los Angeles delivered another blow to San Francisco’s dismal playoff hopes with a victory over the defending World Series champions.
Eveland (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out three in seven-plus innings. Kenley Jansen pitched out of a jam in the eighth, and Javy Guerra tossed a scoreless ninth for his 18th save.
All that did was extend San Francisco’s scoreless streak to 17 innings and knock the Giants 9 1/2 games behind Arizona in the NL West.
In New York, Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning, rallying the Chicago Cubs past the New York Mets after they blew a three-run lead in the eighth Saturday.
Jason Bay had given the Mets a 4-3 lead in the eighth with a two-out, two-run single. But some more sloppy play by New York in the ninth and another meltdown by Bobby Parnell (3-6) helped the Cubs even a three-game series that will culminate with a ceremony Sunday to mark the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
The Mets made four errors Saturday, two each by Jose Reyes and David Wright.
In Denver, Jordan Pacheco’s first home run broke a fifth-inning tie and he added a two-run single in the eighth to lift Colorado over Cincinnati.
The teams combined for nine home runs in the first five innings.
The Reds hit five homers off starter Alex White , who tied a Rockies record for homers allowed in a game. White gave up three homers in succession, and he has allowed nine homers in 22 innings in four starts with the Rockies.
In Pittsburgh, Anibal Sanchez pitched a one-hitter and tied his career high with 11 strikeouts to win for just the second time in 16 starts as Florida topped Pittsburgh.
The only thing that stood between Sanchez (8-7) and the second no-hitter of his six-year career was Neil Walker’s one-out single to left field in the third inning. Pittsburgh loaded the bases in that inning but Sanchez struck out Jeff Locke (0-1) to end the threat.
Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter on Sept. 6, 2006, against Arizona retired the final 16 hitters after walking Ryan Ludwick in the fourth.
In Washington, Wandy Rodriguez earned his 11th win, and Carlos Corporan drove in three runs in Houston’s victory over Washington.
Carlos Lee had a double, single and an RBI, and Jason Bourgeois had three hits and an RBI for the Astros, who had six consecutive hits in a six-run third inning. Lee has driven in at least 80 runs in 13th straight seasons, second only to Alex Rodriguez among active players.
The Astros’ six runs and seven hits in the third inning both tied the team’s highs this season.
