LOS ANGELES – Sammy Sosa hit two mammoth home runs off Kevin Brown, and Mark Prior outpitched the Dodgers ace with a five-hitter as the Chicago Cubs beat Los Angeles 3-1 Sunday.

Sosa’s homers off the NL ERA leader traveled a combined estimated distance of 913 feet, helping Chicago avoid a three-game sweep.

The Cubs got to Brown right away with a leadoff single by Kenny Lofton in the first inning and a one-out homer by Sosa. He drove a 1-2 pitch 465 feet, three-quarters of the way up the right-field pavilion and into the last section of seats next to the center-field flag poles.

Brown, a six-time All-Star, retired his next eight batters before Sosa connected again in the fourth. The 448-foot drive to right-center was his 28th homer this season and the 527th of his career.

Astros 8, Expos 2

HOUSTON – Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman hit two of Houston’s four home runs Sunday, backing Astros starter Ron Villone in an 8-2 victory over the Montreal Expos.

Richard Hidalgo and Brad Ausmus also connected for the NL Central-leading Astros. Jeff Bagwell hit a two-run double in the first inning.

Brewers 5, Marlins 4

MILWAUKEE – John Vander Wal hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, and Richie Sexson hit a two-run home run as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Florida Marlins 5-4 and snapped a

four-game losing streak Sunday.

Vander Wal broke a 3-all tie in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot off Brad Penny (10-9) leading off the seventh. Bill Hall followed with a one-out single and scored on pinch-hitter Brady Clark’s single.

Giants 5, Phillies 2

SAN FRANCISCO – Emergency starter Kevin Correia pitched six strong innings for his first major league victory, and Yorvit Torrealba hit a two-run single as the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Sunday.

The injury-plagued NL West leaders kept winning with a surprisingly effective performance by Correia (1-0), the last-minute replacement for Jason Schmidt.

San Francisco’s ace was scratched to rest the right elbow tendinitis that’s bothered him since the All-Star break, when he was the NL starter.

Pirates 5, Rockies 3

DENVER – Nelson Figueroa threw six strong innings, and Randall Simon hit a two-run homer as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 Sunday.

Figueroa (1-0), called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs earlier in the day, allowed two runs and seven hits. He had been 0-6 in nine starts since his last major league win April 30, 2002, when he beat Atlanta with Milwaukee.

Diamondbacks 7, Mets 4

PHOENIX – Randy Johnson was far from overpowering but lasted eight innings and won his second straight start for the first time this season in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 7-4 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Errors by Vance Wilson and Jason Phillips cleared the way for two unearned runs for the Diamondbacks, who took two of three from the Mets. Arizona finished its home stand 5-1 to move within two games of Philadelphia and Florida in the wild card race.

Cardinals 3, Braves 2

ST. LOUIS – Atlanta shortstop Rafael Furcal turned the 12th unassisted triple play in major league history, but the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Braves 3-2 Sunday night when Albert Pujols hit a tiebreaking homer off John Smoltz in the eighth inning.

Furcal single-handedly snuffed out a Cardinals rally in the fifth for the first unassisted triple play in the majors since Oakland second baseman Randy Velarde did it against the New York Yankees on May 29, 2000.

Padres 2, Reds 0

SAN DIEGO – Brian Lawrence pitched six sharp innings to snap a five-game losing streak, and the San Diego Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 Sunday.

Rondell White had three hits, including an RBI single. Gary Bennett also drove in a run with a single in the sixth inning.

Lawrence (6-14) gave up six hits, winning for the first time in seven starts since July 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struck out four and walked two.

Luther Hackman and Jay Witasick each pitched a hitless inning, and Rod Beck worked the ninth for his 16th save in 16 chances. Beck put two on before retiring pinch-hitters Sean Casey and Russell Branyan to complete San Diego’s seventh shutout of the season.

Danny Graves lost his sixth consecutive decision despite pitching well for the Reds, who were blanked for the fourth time.

Mark Loretta and Phil Nevin opened the sixth with singles off Graves (4-13). After Ryan Klesko struck out, White hit an RBI single before Bennett singled home another run with two outs.

White redeemed himself for a baserunning blunder in the fourth that cost the Padres a run. After he doubled with one out, Sean Burroughs sliced a hit down the left-field line – but White was thrown out after slowing up two steps from home plate.

Lawrence worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fifth by striking out Adam Dunn and getting Brandon Larson on a grounder.

Graves allowed 10 hits in six innings.

Notes: Casey was scratched from the starting lineup minutes before the game with a sore left groin. Dunn was shifted from right field to first base, and Ruben Mateo played right. Mateo had three hits. Dunn is 2-for-24 (.083) and hasn’t driven in a run since July 30, which includes 10 games and 28 at-bats. … Cincinnati’s Barry Larkin is 10-for-18 (.556) in his last five games. … Loretta extended his hitting streak to nine games.

AP-ES-08-10-03 2015EDT