Cards join Cincinnati at top of National League Central

Matt Holliday has four hits for the St Louis Cardinals in their ill-tempered 8-4 victory over their divisional rivals.

The St Louis Cardinals are tied with Cincinnati for top spot in the National League Central with an 8-4 victory over the Reds at the Great American Ball Park. Matt Holliday had four hits for the Cards while Yadier Molina homered and drove in a pair of runs in a game marred by an early brawl which saw both managers ejected. Brooks Conrad struck the go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth as the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves won 4-2 at the Houston Astros. Andre Ethier powered the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 15-9 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies, finishing 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI, while the Chicago Cubs prevailed 8-6 against the San Francisco Giants. Elsewhere in NL action, the Arizona Diamondbacks were 2-1 winners at the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Mets edged the Colorado Rockies 1-0, the Florida Marlins won 8-2 at the Washington Nationals, and the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1. The Minnesota Twins took sole possession of top spot in the American League Central courtesy of a 12-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Michael Cuddyer homered and had four RBI for the Twins, who moved a game clear of the White Sox at the summit. The AL West-leading Texas Rangers squeezed past East pace-setters the New York Yankees 4-3 thanks to David Murphy's game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th. Mike Lowell's go-ahead homer in the eighth inning lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 7-5 win at AL East rivals the Toronto Blue Jays, while the Baltimore Orioles connected with four home runs and had a six-run eighth en route to a 14-8 triumph at the Cleveland Indians. In other AL games, the Tampa Bay Rays were 8-0 winners at the Detroit Tigers, the Los Angeles Angels saw off the Kansas City Royals 3-1 and the Seattle Mariners edged the Oakland Athletics 2-0.

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