MILWAUKEE (AP) -Will Venable hit his first career homer and the San Diego Padres beat Milwaukee 5-2 on Thursday night, handing the slumping Brewers their fourth straight loss.
Nick Hundley and Luis Rodriguez each drove in two runs for San Diego, which had lost nine straight on the road and is tied with Washington and Seattle for the fewest wins in the majors.
With all of the NL's playoff hopefuls taking the day off, maybe Milwaukee should have, too. The Brewers' wild-card lead was trimmed to four games over Philadelphia, and they fell five games behind NL Central-leading Chicago with 22 games left.
Fresh off being swept by the New York Mets, Milwaukee fell to 0-4 on a 10-game homestand, but this loss was much more troubling.
The Padres, mired in last in the NL West, took advantage of every opportunity Jeff Suppan (10-8) and Milwaukee gave them.
Shawn Estes (2-1), making his first start since May after being sidelined with a broken left thumb, allowed one run and seven hits over six innings for San Diego. Trevor Hoffman allowed a leadoff single to Jason Kendall in the ninth before finishing for his 28th save.
J.J. Hardy hit his 22nd homer for the Brewers.
CINCINNATI (AP) - Joey Votto hit a solo homer and a tiebreaking, bases-loaded single in the eighth inning, completing the Reds' rally from a five-run deficit.
By scoring three times in the eighth, Cincinnati avoided a sweep by the Pirates, who have dropped 11 of their last 13 games.
Craig Hansen (0-3) couldn't hold a one-run lead in the eighth, when his wild pitch let in the tying run. Votto's run-scoring single off T.J. Beam put the Reds ahead for the first time, and Edwin Encarnacion followed with a sacrifice fly.
Nick Masset (1-0), who came to the Reds in the trade that sent Ken Griffey Jr. to the White Sox, got the victory despite giving up a solo homer to Nate McLouth in the eighth. Francisco Cordero pitched out of a threat in the ninth for his 27th save in 33 chances.
ATLANTA (AP) - James Parr tossed six sharp innings in his major league debut, leading the Braves to the win.
Parr (1-0) surrendered just two hits - both to Ronnie Belliard - walked three and struck out three. Jeff Bennett worked the seventh, Julian Tavarez pitched the eighth and Mike Gonzalez got three outs to complete the five-hitter, Atlanta's seventh shutout of the season.
Gonzalez has converted all nine of his save opportunities this season and 39 straight overall, the longest current streak in the major leagues, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Shairon Martis (0-1) also pitched well for Washington in his major league debut, allowing two runs and four hits in five innings. Belliard went 3-for-3.
