>>Sliding Cards Pick Up Finale Win in Cincinnati

Tommy Pham made the most of a rare start, giving his St. Louis Cardinals a needed boost.

Pham hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the sixth inning, pinch-hitter Matt Adams added a two-run drive in a five-run eighth and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 Sunday and avoid getting swept in the four-game series.

The Cardinals, on their worst stretch this season, had lost eight of 10 going into the series finale, and their division lead over Pittsburgh was down to 2 1/2 games. St. Louis then fell behind 2-0 on Todd Frazier's second-inning homer and Tucker Barnhart's fourth-inning sacrifice fly.

Those were the only runs the Reds would score against Michael Wacha (16-5), who allowed three hits and four walks in six innings.

Outscored 20-3 in the first three games, the Cardinals tied the score in the fifth against Raisel Iglesias on Kolten Wong's run-scoring infield single and Matt Carpenter's RBI single.

Sam LeCure (0-1) walked Greg Garcia and Pham homered on a 2-2 pitch for a 4-2 lead, his second home run of the season and first since July 5.

St. Louis broke open the game in the eighth against Carlos Contreras, when Barnhart's passed ball allowed Wong to come home from third, and Jason Heyward hit an RBI double and scored on Yadier Molina's single.

The Reds bullpen allowed seven runs, snapping a 14 2-3 a stretch of consecutive scoreless innings.

Adams, was activated from the disabled list on Wednesday after missing 91 games with a right quadriceps injury, homered for the first time since May 20.

Jason Heyward, who watched Adam Duvall's go-ahead, two-run homer bounce off the top of the wall in Saturday's completion of a suspended game, made a leaping catch in right to rob Ivan De Jesus Jr. of what would have been a go-ahead home run in the fifth.

St. Louis C Yadier Molina threw out Billy Hamilton trying to steal second base in the seventh inning on Sunday. Hamilton had been 10-for-10 in his career against the All-Star and Gold Glove winner, the longest active streak by any player. The stretch included two in this series that included two throwing errors on Molina.

After an off day, RHP Carlos Martinez (13-7) starts against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

>>Howard Homers Sends Phillies Past Cubs

Ryan Howard homered and drove in three runs to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 7-4 Sunday.

Chris Coghlan hit a homer and two triples for the Cubs, who lost two straight to the team with the worst record in the majors. Chicago still has a comfortable lead over San Francisco for the second NL wild-card spot.

Aaron Altherr scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a wild pitch by Clayton Richard (3-2) with two outs. Altherr hit a triple to left-center and scored one out later when Richard's fastball bounced in front of the plate and skipped to the backstop.

Freddy Galvis hit a two-run double in the eighth to make it 7-4.

Dalier Hinojosa (1-0) gave up one unearned run in one inning to earn his first major league win. Jerome Williams tossed a perfect eighth and Ken Giles finished for his 13th straight save.

>>Twins Rock Sale, Sox

Torii Hunter battled with White Sox starter Chris Sale, fouling off five pitches before hitting a three-run home run in the first inning. He later added an RBI single as the Twins beat the Sox 7-0.

Kyle Gibson won for the third time in four starts against Chicago as Minnesota beat Sale, who had another bad start against the Twins.

Gibson (10-10) gave up five hits in 7 2-3 innings, struck out seven and walked one, and Casey Fien and Michael Tonkin followed with hitless relief.

Sale (12-9) lasted three innings and dropped to 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA in six starts against the Twins this year. He allowed six runs and nine hits and struck out three, raising his AL-leading total to 250.

Hunter homered in a four-run first for the Twins after Aaron Hicks singled on Sale's first pitch and scored on Miguel Sano's single.

Minnesota made it 6-0 in the third with four straight singles, getting RBIs from Hunter and Eddie Rosario. Joe Mauer added a run-scoring single in the sixth against Frankie Montas.

Hunter's home run was his 19th this year and the 350th of his career.

RF Avisail Garcia and C Rob Brantly are day to day. Garcia left Saturday's game after two innings due to back spasms. Brantly has a nagging knee issue, manager Robin Ventura said.

Chicago's John Danks (7-12, 4.60) is scheduled to start Monday night against Oakland and Sonny Gray (13-7, 2.28). Danks is 7-3 against Oakland.