NL roundup: Braves outlast Phillies, rain to win 7th straight

ATLANTA — Troy Glaus stayed hot with a three-run homer, Tim Hudson pitched six strong innings around a rain delay, and the streaking Atlanta Braves extended with lead in the NL East with a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves moved to 10 1/2 games ahead of two-time reigning NL champion Philadelphia with their 17th win in the last 21 games, including seven in a row. They haven't been in first this late in the season since 2005, the last of their record 14 straight division titles.

Philadelphia is heading in the opposite direction. The Phillies have lost eight of 10 and are really struggling at the plate, though Ryan Howard's two-run homer prevented them from being shut out for the sixth time in the last 10 games.

Howard grounded out against Billy Wagner with the bases loaded to end the game.

Cole Hamels (5-4) had the shortest start of his career, surrendering Glaus' homer and getting only two outs before a one-hour, four-minute rain delay ended his night.

Hudson (6-1) pitched a 1-2-3 first, then returned after the long delay to allow only two runs on five hits, with six strikeouts.

PIRATES 3, CUBS 2: At Pittsburgh, Neil Walker hit his first major league home run to put the Pirates ahead in the eighth and Pittsburgh beat the Chicago Cubs for the seventh time this season.

Walker, who grew up in Pittsburgh's suburbs and was the Pirates' first-round draft choice in 2004, hit a 0-1 pitch from Ted Lilly (1-5) into the seats in the deepest part of the ballpark in left-center with Andrew McCutchen on and one out.

MARLINS 6, BREWERS 4: At Miami, Jorge Cantu hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning as Florida became the latest team to rough up Trevor Hoffman, sending the Marlins over the Brewers.

Hoffman, baseball's career saves leader, took over with the score 3-all. Chris Coghlan led off with a double and scored on Cantu's hit, and Ronny Paulino added a two-run single. Hoffman allowed three runs in one inning, leaving the struggling closer with an 11.65 ERA.

REDS 9, CARDINALS 8: At St. Louis, Scott Rolen homered twice and the Cincinnati Reds overcame a rough outing by Johnny Cueto, recovering for a 9-8 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jonny Gomes' RBI single and Drew Stubbs' go-ahead sacrifice fly off Blake Hawksworth put the Reds ahead to stay in the seventh inning after Brendan Ryan's two-run double put the Cardinals ahead 8-7 the inning before.