Troy Glaus hit a three-run homer and Tim Hudson pitched six strong innings around a rain delay as the Atlanta Braves extended their lead in the National League East with a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
The Braves moved to 1.5 games ahead of two-time reigning NL champions 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.
PHOTO: REUTERS
An off-season gamble to acquire a journeyman hitter has been the chief reason the Atlanta Braves have gone from worst to first in just two weeks in the wacky National League East.
Veteran first baseman Troy Glaus, acquired from St Louis after an injury-shortened 2009 season, has become the man of the hour for the Braves.
After an atrocious April, the 33-year-old former World Series MVP hit .330 last month while driving in 28 runs, best in the National League for the month.
“He has been unbelievable,” Braves catcher Brain McCann told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“28 RBIs in a month — I’ve never had a month like that,” added an equally impressed Braves slugger Chipper Jones.
Along the way, the Braves (29-22) have won 11 of their past 13 games, including six in a row.
A shake-up in the Atlanta batting order aided Glaus, a 13-year Major League veteran who won World Series MVP honors with the Anaheim Angels in 2002.
Braves manager Bobby Cox shifted Martin Prado to leadoff with Jason Heyward batting second, followed most often by Jones and Glaus.
“You get a hitter who’s confident and hot and on top of his swing and you give him opportunities with runners on base every day, day in and day out, sometimes multiple times — that’s how you do it,” Jones said.
Pirates 3, Cubs 2
At Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Neil Walker hit his first major league home run to put the Pirates ahead in the eighth as Pittsburgh beat the Chicago Cubs for the seventh time this season, 3-2 on Tuesday.
Walker, who grew up in Pittsburgh’s suburbs and was the Pirates’ first-round draft choice in 2004, hit a 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.
Joel Hanrahan (2-1) pitched a perfect top of the eighth and Octavio Dotel worked the ninth for his 12th save in 14 opportunities.
Reds 9, Cardinals 8
In St Louis, Scott Rolen homered twice as Cincinnati overcame a rough outing by Johnny Cueto to beat St Louis.
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.
Joey Votto homered and had four hits, showing no rust from a six-game absence due to a sore neck and helped the Reds rally after blowing a four-run lead to reclaim first place in the NL Central.
In other NL play, it was:
• Marlins 6, Brewers 4
• Astros 8, Nationals 7
• Mets 4, Padres 2
• Dodgers 1, D’backs 0, 10 inns
• Rockies 2, Giants 1, 11 inns
AP, NEW YORK
Miguel Tejada’s two-out, two-run throwing error allowed Javier Vazquez to win a stellar matchup with Brian Matusz as the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 on Tuesday.
Tejada, playing his first season at third base, fielded Alex Rodriguez’s sharp ground ball off reliever David Hernandez in the seventh inning, but his throw to first bounced in the dirt and Ty Wigginton couldn’t stretch far enough to scoop it.
Curtis Granderson hit a solo homer in the fifth inning.
Baltimore lost its sixth in a row.
Indians 3, Tigers 2
In Detroit, Michigan, Russell Branyan and Choo Shin-soo hit home runs to lift Cleveland over Detroit.
Jake Westbrook (3-3) gave up a run on five hits and a walk over 7-2/3 innings.
Chris Perez stranded two runners in the eighth by getting Magglio Ordonez to pop up. Kerry Wood gave up an unearned run on Alex Avila’s RBI single after Branyan’s two-out error, letting the Tigers pull within a run before earning his third save in four chances.
Jeremy Bonderman (2-3) didn’t allow a run until Branyan hit a solo home run in the fifth. Choo followed with a solo shot the next inning. Mark Grudzielanek’s RBI single in the eighth gave Cleveland a two-run cushion it needed.
Royals 6, Angels 3
At Kansas City, Missouri, David DeJesus hit a two-run triple, Jose Guillen homered and reliever Robinson Tejeda escaped a jam in the sixth inning to lift Kansas City over the Los Angeles Angels.
Brian Bannister (5-3) worked into the sixth inning for his fourth straight win and the bullpen pitched 3-2/3 scoreless innings to end Kansas City’s three-game losing streak. Tejeda got the two biggest outs, stopping the Angels with runners on second and third, and Joakim Soria pitched a dominating ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.
In other AL action, it was:
• Rays 7, Blue Jays 6
• Red Sox 9, Athletics 4
• Rangers 9, White Sox 6
• Mariners 7, Twins 1
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