Braves get closer to division crown

Freddie Freeman hit a tworun homer and drove in three runs, Touki Toussaint pitched into the sixth inning and the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves snapped a four-game skid with a 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

It was a big win for Atlanta, which began the day with a 5 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia.

The Braves need any combination of six victories or Philadelphia losses to clinch their first division title since 2013.

St. Louis, which had won three straight, began the day leading Colorado by 1 1/2 games for the second wildcard spot.

At least for one game, Atlanta snapped a funk at home, where it had dropped 14 of 18 and has won just one of its past seven series at SunTrust Park.

At Philadelphia, Rhys Hoskins became the seventh-fastest player to hit 50 career home runs and the Philadelphia Phillies kept pace in the NL East race with a 4-0 victory over the New York Mets.

Zach Eflin and five relievers combined on a six-hitter and Odubel Herrera added two-run homer for the Phillies, who won consecutive series for the first time since July 25 and kept pace with Atlanta.

Seven of Philadelphia’s final 11 games are against the Braves, including a four-game series beginning Thursday night in Atlanta.

Hoskins’ opposite-field solo shot against Noah Syndergaard in the first inning was his 32nd homer of the season and 50th in 192 career games.

Only Rudy York (153), Mark McGwire (161), Gary Sanchez (161), Ryan Braun (171), Aaron Judge (174) and former Phillies slugger Ryan Howard (182) reached 50 quicker, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.