Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 3
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Rusty Ryal homered to lead off the 10th inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Monday night for their fifth consecutive victory.
The biggest news during the game occurred off the field, with the Dodgers acquiring first baseman Jim Thome from the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Jon Garland from Arizona in separate trades announced late in the game.
The deals were for players to be named later. Thome and Garland were signed before the midnight EDT deadline, making them eligible for postseason play, something they weren't likely to see with their previous clubs.
Esmerling Vasquez (3-2) got the win with one strikeout in 1 1-3 innings of relief. Juan Gutierrez earned his second save.
Braves 5, Marlins 2
MIAMI (AP) - Omar Infante hit a two-run triple in the seventh and Kenshin Kawakami pitched six effective innings to carry the Braves past the Marlins in a matchup between NL wild-card contenders.
Marlins ace Josh Johnson did not allow a hit until the sixth inning when Matt Diaz lined a 2-2 slider to center field with two outs.
David Ross, Adam LaRoche, and Yunel Escobar each drove in a run for the Braves in the opener of a four-game series.
With the win, Atlanta moved within three games of wild-card co-leaders San Francisco and Colorado, both of which were idle on Monday. Florida has lost four of five to fall four games back.
Johnson (13-4) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out eight and walked three.
Kawakami (7-10) quietly kept the Braves in the game as he allowed one run and six hits in six innings. He threw 51 of his 75 pitches for strikes and struck out five without walking a batter.
Astros 5, Cubs 3
CHICAGO (AP) - Carlos Lee hit a two-run home run and drove in four runs, leading Houston to a victory over the Cubs.
Lee has hit 20 of his 31 homers against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He also had a two-run single to give him 85 RBIs against the NL Central division rival.
Roy Oswalt pitched seven strong innings for Houston, who won for just the second time in eight games. Oswalt (8-5) allowed two runs on six hits, striking out three and walking one.
Harden (8-8) allowed five runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out nine but walked six.
Reds 4, Pirates 3, Game 1; Reds 6, Pirates 3, Game 2
CINCINNATI (AP) - Brandon Phillips hit one homer and had another overturned after a review, and the Reds swept a doubleheader from the Pirates in front of the two smallest crowds in Great American Ball Park's history.
Phillips had three hits off left-hander Paul Maholm (7-8), including a solo homer. He had another solo shot overturned in the fifth. Replays showed that his drive down the left-field line had actually veered foul, leading to the first reversal at the ballpark.
Johnny Cueto (9-10) returned from a stay on the disabled list because of a sore shoulder and won for the first time since July 1.
In the opener, fewer than 2,000 fans saw Darnell McDonald score on a wild pitch from Jesse Chavez (0-4) in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 win.
Nick Masset (5-1) got the victory with one inning in relief on an eery afternoon.
Padres 3, Nationals 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Livan Hernandez lost to the San Diego Padres for the second time in less than a month - and with his second team - dropping a decision despite throwing a complete game for the Nationals.
David Eckstein and Kevin Kouzmanoff hit RBI doubles in the first inning, and Chase Headley added a pinch-hit home run in the eighth in a matchup of last-place teams.
Hernandez (7-9) threw the 47th complete game of his career and second this season. He also had a complete game in a 6-1 win for the New York Mets against the Nationals on May 26.
Hernandez lost 8-3 to the Padres at Petco Park on Aug. 6 while with the Mets.