Uggla, Braves beat Strasburg, Nationals 7-4
WASHINGTON (AP) - Dan Uggla and the Braves knocked around Stephen Strasburg a bit in a three-run first inning, and Atlanta helped its bid for a playoff berth by beating the Washington Nationals 7-4 Friday night.
Tim Hudson pitched into the sixth for the Braves, who had lost eight of their previous 12 games. Entering Friday, their once-hefty lead in the NL wild-card standings had dwindled to a two-game edge over St. Louis. But the win, coupled with the Cardinals' loss to the Cubs pushed the lead to three with five games left to play.
Uggla finished with three hits and two RBIs, including a run-scoring single while Strasburg (0-1) labored at the outset of the game, which began 14 minutes late because of rain. The right-hander, coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery, allowed four hits in an inning for the first time in the majors, according to STATS LLC.
Tim Hudson was later taken to a hospital to be treated for a cramp near his neck.
He gave up three runs in 5 2-3 innings to improve to 16-10.
During his final inning, the sixth, Hudson was visited on the mound by manager Fredi Gonzalez and a team trainer but stayed in the game to face four more batters.
Gonzalez said after the game that Hudson went to the hospital "to get some fluids in him" and called it "nothing serious." The manager said Hudson "has a history of" cramping.
Cubs beat Cards 5-1
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Alfonso Soriano dealt the St. Louis' wild-card hopes another serious blow with his first home run of the month, a tiebreaking three-run shot in the eighth inning that sent the
Chicago Cubs over the Cardinals 5-1 Friday night.
The loss dropped the Cardinals three games behind Atlanta, which beat Washington 7-4, for the wild card. The defeat also clinched the NL Central for Milwaukee.
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