CINCINNATI: Adam Wainwright pitched seven innings for his ninth win, and every Cardinals starter had a hit in a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night that gave St. Louis a season-high four-game lead in the NL Central.
Wainwright (9-3) gave up two runs and seven hits as the Cardinals improved the major leagues’ best record to 40-21.
Slumping Pete Kozma drove in three runs, David Freese and Jon Jay knocked in two apiece, and four Cardinals extended long hitting streaks against a pitching staff in a downturn. Mike Leake (5-3) lasted only five innings for the Reds, who have given up 26 runs while losing their last three games.
Pirates 2 Cubs 0: In Chicago, Francisco Liriano pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and Pittsburgh got its major league-leading 10th shutout, matching the team’s total for all of last season.
Liriano (4-2) walked five, his most since last Sept. 1, but struck eight to help the Pirates stop a three-game losing streak. He had lost his previous two starts.
Mark Melancon pitched the eighth, and Jason Grilli finished the five-hitter for his major league-leading 23rd save 23 chances.
Brewers 5 Phillies 4: In Milwaukee, Aramis Ramirez hit an RBI single with one out in the ninth inning, rallying Milwaukee from four runs down and ending Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak.
Jean Segura started the winning rally by beating out a grounder to short for an infield single off Jeremy Horst (0-2). Ryan Braun singled and Segura advanced to third base. Ramirez then lined the second pitch he saw to left field to drive in the winning run.
Reliever Francisco Rodriguez (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Milwaukee, which trailed 4-0 in the fourth inning.
Alfredo Figaro started for the Brewers in place of Marco Estrado, who is on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He went 5 1-3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits.
Dodgers 2, Braves 1 10 innings: In Los Angeles, pinch-runner Skip Schumaker scored on the second wild pitch by Anthony Varvaro in the 10th inning, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a victory over the Braves.
Ramon Hernandez started the rally with a one-out single, took second on the first wild pitch and advanced to third on a single by Luis Cruz.
Varvaro (3-1) then bounced another wild pitch to Juan Uribe, allowing Schumaker to score. Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig was on-deck, but he wasn’t needed after homering for the fourth time in five career games.
Brandon League (2-2) got the win in relief.
Diamondbacks 3 Giants 1: In Phoenix, Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run, opposite-field home run with two outs in the eighth inning and the Diamondbacks beat the Giant.
The Giants were poised to give Matt Cain a victory and send Patrick Corbin to his first loss in 10 decisions before Goldschmidt lined a 2-0 pitch from Jeremy Affeldt over the right field fence for his 15th home run of the season.
Cain and Corbin were both scoreless until Gregor Blanco’s two-out single brought Pablo Sandoval home from third in the seventh.
Rockies 10 Padres 9: In Denver, Nolan Arenado hit a game-ending homer leading off the ninth inning and the Rockies beat the Padres after squandering a six-run lead.
Arenado sent a 1-1 pitch from reliever Joe Thatcher (2-1) over the wall in left field. Arenado sauntered around the bases and then tossed his batting helmet as he rounded third base. The rookie was mobbed by teammates once he stomped on home plate.
