NATIONAL LEAGUE

CARDINALS 7, REDS 5 Dexter Fowler and Jedd Gyorko homered to back starting pitcher Lance Lynn, who allowed one run in six innings, and the Cardinals opened a threegame series against Cincinnati with a 7-5 win at Busch Stadium on Friday night. The win was the ninth in the last 11 games and moved the Cardinals within a half game of first-place in the Central Division. At 12-11, the Cardinals are above .500 for the first time since winning their season opener. Fowler’s two-run homer in the third inning gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead that they built upon with three runs in the sixth inning after a big defensive play by Yadier Molina.

BRAVES 10, BREWERS 8 Freddie Freeman’s two-run home run snapped a tie in the ninth and the Atlanta Braves rallied from a four-run deficit in the final three innings to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-8 on Friday night. Freeman hit his eighth homer off Brewers closer Neftali Feliz (0-3), who was summoned to pitch the ninth in a tie game. Adonis Garcia led off the inning with a double and Freeman hit a 1-1 pitch over the wall in center field. Jose Ramirez (1-1) pitched a perfect eighth and Jim Johnson worked the ninth for his fourth save in six chances. Atlanta trailed 8-4 after six innings but scored six runs in the final three innings against Milwaukee’s bullpen. The Brewers’ Matt Barnes, who had not allowed a run in 121/3 innings this season, gave up three runs in the seventh to spark the Atlanta comeback.