Braves close to within 5 of Nats

MIAMI — Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Martin Prado tied a career best with four hits, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 7-5 on Monday night.

Tim Hudson (15-6) allowed a season-high 10 hits in five innings but still beat the Marlins for the fifth straight time. Atlanta, which swept a three-game series from Washington last weekend, moved within five games of the first-place Nationals in the NL East.

Miami was without right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, out because of muscle soreness in his rib cage. Chipper Jones got the night off for Atlanta, and Prado went 4-for-4 playing third base in his place, including an RBI single in the eighth.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 37th save in 40 chances.

The Braves wasted little time against Marlins starter Wade LeBlanc (2-5), getting four hits and four runs in the first.

PHILLIES 3, METS 1

NEW YORK — Cliff Lee struck out 10 while outdueling Cy Young contender R.A. Dickey, and Philadelphia regained its winning touch by beating New York.

Jimmy Rollins homered with the help of video replay, and Domonic Brown also hit a solo shot off Dickey (18-6). The Phillies pulled within three games of idle St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot, though other teams are also in their path.

Philadelphia had lost three of four at last-place Houston before arriving at Citi Field, where visiting teams have feasted. The Mets have dropped nine of 10 overall, and fell to 4-22 at home since the All-Star break.

Lee (6-7) turned in his fifth straight sharp start, allowing seven hits over eight innings. He has gone 14 consecutive starts with no more than one free pass.

Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 35th save in 39 chances.

New York has scored three runs or fewer in a team-record 14 straight home games.

Dickey missed a chance to tie Washington’s Gio Gonzalez for the major league lead in wins, and he has lost two decisions in a row for the first time this year.

GIANTS 2, ROCKIES 1

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford tripled, doubled and scored on a passed ball, and Hunter Pence singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning to lead San Francisco.

Madison Bumgarner (15-10) allowed one run and four hits in six innings while walking a career-high five. He struck out six and helped extend the Giants’ lead over the idle Dodgers in the NL West to eight games.

Pence’s RBI single off reliever Guillermo Moscoso (3-2) handed Colorado its 10th loss in 12 games.

Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin gave up five hits and a run in five innings. He doubled and scored on Josh Rutledge’s triple in the fifth.

Four relievers held Colorado scoreless before Sergio Romo struck out pinch-hitter Jason Giambi for his 12th save in 13 chances.

San Francisco won for the fifth time in six games.

Pirates 3, Cubs 0

CHICAGO — Kevin Correia pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, and Starling Marte hit a two-run triple to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Chicago Cubs in a game that was delayed more than 3 hours by rain.

With the Pirates still in playoff contention, the teams waited out two storms at Wrigley Field that pushed back the start for 3 hours, 37 minutes. The first pitch was thrown at 10:42 p.m. CDT, and Joel Hanrahan delivered the final one at 1:28 a.m. on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh tied Milwaukee for third place in the NL Central at 74-72. Both teams are two games behind division rival St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot, with the Los Angeles Dodgers also in their path.

White Sox 5, Tigers 4

CHICAGO — Omar Infante’s throwing error on a potential double play helped Chicago score two runs in the fifth inning, and the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers in a pivotal makeup game.

Chicago increased its lead in the AL Central to three games over the Tigers.

Nate Jones (8-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, and the White Sox won their fourth straight.

The game had been postponed by rain last Thursday, and Monday’s makeup was the final meeting of the season between the division front-runners.

Addison Reed, the last of three relievers in the ninth, got the final out for his 27th save in 31 chances.

Trailing 4-3, the White Sox loaded the bases for a third straight inning in the fifth, driving out Detroit starter Doug Fister (9-9).

When Dayan Viciedo hit a one-out grounder to shortstop, the Tigers tried to turn an inning-ending double play. Alex Rios slid hard into Infante and forced an errant throw that allowed two runs to score.

ORIOLES 10, MARINERS 4

SEATTLE — Nate McLouth gave Baltimore a quick start with a leadoff home run, and the Orioles beat Seattle to tighten the AL East race.

Matt Wieters hit a two-run shot, and Adam Jones scored four times for the Orioles, who moved within a half-game of the first-place New York Yankees. Baltimore also opened a three-game cushion over the Los Angeles Angels for the second AL wild-card spot.

Chris Tillman (8-2) allowed one run and three hits over six innings, supported by Baltimore’s 15 hits. He is 4-0 with a 0.98 ERA in four career starts against his former club and 11-17 with a 5.44 ERA against everyone else.

McLouth, Wieters and Jones each had three hits. Mark Reynolds added two RBIs.

Michael Saunders, Eric Thames and John Jaso homered for the Mariners. Hector Noesi (2-12) gave up seven runs — six earned — and eight hits in 1 1/3 innings.

RED SOX 5, RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jacoby Ellsbury homered and drove in three runs, Aaron Cook stopped his five-game losing streak, and Boston beat Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay, coming off a 1-5 road trip to Baltimore and New York, fell 5 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees. The Rays also dropped five back of the Orioles for the second AL wild-card spot.

Ellsbury hit a two-run homer in the sixth and added an RBI single during a three-run seventh for the Red Sox, who were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday. Cook (4-10) allowed one run and five hits over six innings in his first win since Aug. 6.

Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb (9-9) allowed one baserunner through five innings before Ellsbury went deep for Boston’s first hit.