Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kevin Correia delivers in the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, July 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Kevin Correia won his career-best fifth straight start and Garrett Jones hit a tiebreaking double to lead Pittsburgh over Chicago 3-2 on Wednesday.

Correia (8-6) gave up two runs and four hits in six innings, helping Pittsburgh avoid getting swept at home.

Jones drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the sixth. Neil Walker and Michael McKenry homered for Pittsburgh.

Ryan Dempster (5-5) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings with six strikeouts and no walks. His ERA, which had been a major league-leading 2.11, rose to 2.25.

Relievers Jared Hughes, Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan followed Correia with one scoreless inning each. Hanrahan recorded his 29th save in 32 chances.

NATIONALS 5, METS 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings, Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa hit consecutive homers and Washington completed a sweep of free-falling New York.

Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer for a second straight day, and Espinosa doubled and scored on one of the Mets' two errors in the Nationals' fifth straight win. The team with the NL's best record (58-39) has won seven of 10.

Strasburg (11-4) gave up four hits in matching his career best for innings, done seven times.

Ike Davis homered for New York in the finale of an 0-6 homestand. The Mets' 1-11 slide after the All-Star break is approaching their record for futility to start the second half. The only team worse in club history was its first. The 1962 Mets won just one of their first 15 games and set a record for losses with a 40-120 record.

Tyler Clippard, the Nationals' fifth reliever, pitched a perfect ninth for his 18 save in 20 chances.

Jeremy Hefner (1-4) laboured through six innings, giving up six hits and three runs — two earned — in his fourth big league start. Hefner struck out seven and walked two.

BRAVES 7, MARLINS 1

MIAMI (AP) — Juan Francisco homered and drove in three runs for Atlanta while the downsizing Marlins jettisoned yet another star player by trading Hanley Ramirez to Los Angeles.

Michael Bourn and Jason Heyward homered to back Tommy Hanson (11-5), who pitched around a career-high seven walks and allowed one run and three hits in five innings.

Ricky Nolasco (8-9) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings, dropping to 0-2 with a 9.64 ERA against the Braves this season.

A Marlins Park-record crowd of 36,711 watched the home team steal seven bases, the most in the major leagues this season. Jose Reyes and Donovan Solano each had two stolen bases as the Marlins were caught just once.

PHILLIES 7, BREWERS 6, 10 innings

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jimmy Rollins hit an RBI single off Francisco Rodriguez with two outs in the 10th and Philadelphia rallied in its last at-bat for the fourth straight day, completing its first three-game sweep of the season.

The Phillies have won four straight, including three walkoff wins.

Rollins had the winning hit in the 12th against San Francisco on Sunday. The Phillies scored four runs off Rodriguez in the ninth in a 7-6 win Monday, and six in the eighth in a 7-6 win Tuesday.

Michael Schwimer (2-1) allowed an unearned run in the 10th, but earned the win.

John Mayberry Jr. walked with one out in the 10th against Rodriguez (2-6). Eric Kratz followed with a double. Pinch-hitter Carlos Ruiz hit a sacrifice fly to tie it. Rollins hit an RBI single.

Ryan Braun hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth and Rickie Weeks also connected but the Brewers, who lost their sixth straight — all on the road.

PADRES 6, GIANTS 3

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jesus Guzman hit two home runs and Chase Headley had one to hand Tim Lincecum another setback and San Diego avoided a three-game sweep.

Will Venable hit a two-run double to help the Padres chase Lincecum (4-11) after he allowed five runs in 4 2-3 innings.

Jason Marquis (4-5) gave up three hits and one earned run in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one to send the NL West-leading Giants to only their third loss in 12 games.

Huston Street extended his scoreless streak to 15 straight innings with a four-out save, including striking out All-Star MVP Melky Cabrera with two on to end the eighth. Street has converted all 16 save opportunities this season.

Headley homered over the wall in centre in the first to match his career-high of 12 home runs and give the Padres a 1-0 lead. It was the sixth home run allowed in the first inning this year by Lincecum, tying the mark he gave up all of last season.

REDS 5, ASTROS 3

HOUSTON (AP) — Drew Stubbs delivered another huge hit in the ninth inning, a two-out, two-run double that rallied Cincinnati to its season-high seventh straight win.

Stubbs came through with the Reds trailing 3-2. A night earlier, he hit a two-run homer in the ninth that wiped out the Astros' one-run lead. Both of Stubbs' hits came against former teammate Francisco Cordero (3-7).

The NL Central leaders sent Houston to its ninth straight loss, tying a season worst.

Houston scored three times in the eighth to take the lead. But pinch hitter Xavier Paul opened the Cincinnati ninth with a double off Cordero and pinch-hitter Brandon Phillips drew a one-out walk.

Stubbs' double allowed Paul and Phillips to score. Jay Bruce added an insurance run with an RBI single.

Sean Marshall (3-3) got the last out in the eighth for the win and closer Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth for his 19th save.

Cordero has blown both of his save opportunities since joining the Astros in a trade from Toronto on Friday.

CARDINALS 3, DODGERS 2, 12 innings

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rafael Furcal singled home the winning run with two outs in the 12th inning and St. Louis dampened the Dodgers debut of Hanley Ramirez.

Ramirez tripled on the first pitch he saw with his new team. The three-time All-Star infielder, acquired late Tuesday night from Miami, went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored once and hit an RBI single in sixth that made it 2-all.

Lance Berkman, who left a day earlier with a bruised right knee after being hit by a pitch, drew a one-out walk as a pinch-hitter in the 12th from Jamey Wright (4-3). Matt Carpenter singled with two outs and Furcal drove home pinch-runner Joe Kelly.

Fernando Salas (1-3) pitched two scoreless innings to pick up his first victory since July 9, 2011, against Arizona.

Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse went seven innings and allowed two runs and seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts. He drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Dodgers starter Aaron Harang gave up just two hits and two runs in 7 1-3 innings.

ROCKIES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2

PHOENIX (AP) — Jeff Francis pitched 6 1-3 strong innings, Wilin Rosario hit a two-run homer and Colorado avoided a three-game sweep.

Dexter Fowler went 3-for-4 with a triple, stolen base and two runs scored, and Marco Scutaro added a two-run double and drove in three runs for the Rockies, who won for the second time in eight games.

Francis (3-2) allowed two runs and five hits, struck out four and walked one in his longest outing of the season.

Rafael Betancourt pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

Jason Kubel and Miguel Montero homered for the Diamondbacks, whose overall winning streak ended at five games while its home streak ended at eight games.

Arizona starter Trevor Cahill (8-9) went 6 2-3 innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and two walks. He struck out six.

News from © The Associated Press, 2012