Pittsburgh ? Cubs manager Dusty Baker all but guaranteed a victory before Sunday’s game. Of course, most managers would feel that way with Mark Prior pitching.

Prior gave the Cubs the dominating start they needed, striking out 14 in 72/3 innings as Chicago shook off two straight damaging losses to beat the Pirates, 4-1, Sunday and closed within a half game of the NL Central lead.

Aramis Ramirez, traded by the Pirates to the Cubs two months ago, hit two solo homers to help give Chicago a split in the four-game series.

“That was how I felt. I say what I feel. I felt we were going to win,” Baker said of his pregame comments. “We were due to win … and with the guy we had going out there, it really wasn’t that tough to make that prediction.”

The Cubs missed chances to gain ground on first-place Houston by losing 10-6 in the second game of a doubleheader Friday night and 8-2 Saturday night. They didn’t Sunday, when the Astros lost, 6-4, in St. Louis.

The Cubs also cut their deficit in the NL wild-card race to 11/2 games as both the Marlins and Phillies lost. Still, it wasn’t as if they were hanging on every pitch of the out-of-town games — their clubhouse TVs were tuned to two NFL games.

“We’ve got to win our games and don’t worry about the games that are out of our control,” Mark Grudzielanek said.

Prior (17-6) was in control from the start against a team that has played well down the stretch against contenders, scoring 27 runs in the first three games of the series. He gave up six hits — three in the eighth — and retired 15 in a row at one point, nine on strikeouts.

“We needed a win,” Prior said. “I enjoy pitching in close games, whether it’s in April or when the season’s on the line.”

Cardinals 6, Astros 4

St. Louis — Edgar Renteria had a key two-run double to back Sterling Hitchcock (4-1), who allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings as the Cardinals overcame a 3-0 deficit against Jeriome Robertson (15-8).

So Taguchi hit a two-run homer for St. Louis, which took two of three from Houston and closed within four games of the lead.

Pirates pitcher Oliver Perez waits for manager Lloyd McClendon to remove him. Perez was pulled in the second inning of a 4-1 loss Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Jason Isringhausen recorded three outs for his 19th save.

Reds 4, Phillies 3

Philadelphia — With the Phillies ahead 3-2, pinch-hitter Dernell Stenson hit a tying double in the seventh off Vicente Padilla (14-11) and scored on a bloop single by Tim Hummell.

Jim Thome hit his 44th homer, a three-run shot that put the Phillies ahead 3-1 in the fourth.

Braves 8, Marlins 0

Atlanta — Greg Maddux (15-11) became the first pitcher in major-league history to win at least 15 games in 16 consecutive seasons. Cy Young did it in 15 straight years.

Maddux allowed one hit in five innings for his 288th win, tying Tommy John for 22nd place.

Expos 4, Mets 2

New York — Wil Cordero homered and hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth off Grant Roberts (0-2) as Montreal completed its first four-game road sweep since April 3-6, 1998, at Wrigley Field.

Brewers 6, D’backs 4

Milwaukee — Richie Sexson, Keith Ginter and Bill Hall homered to back Wes Obermueller (1-5), who recorded his first major-league win by allowing three runs and eight hits in six innings.

Rockies 5, Padres 3

Denver — Larry Walker and Rene Reyes hit two-run homers for Colorado as Chin-hui Tsao (3-3) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out a career-high seven. Brian Fuentes recorded five outs for his fourth save in six chances. Adam Eaton (8-12) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings.

Dodgers 7, Giants 5

Los Angeles — Shawn Green hit a two-run homer, and Robin Ventura, Adrian Beltre and Jeromy Burnitz hit consecutive drives off Kevin Correia in the fourth to tie it at 5 as Los Angeles closed within 21/2 games of the NL wild-card lead.