By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Suddenly, the Chicago Cubs are winning. Just as suddenly, the Washington Nationals are making the types of miscues that lose tight games.

Aramis Ramirez led off the eighth inning with a tiebreaking homer before two errors allowed Chicago to tack on three unearned runs, and the Cubs beat the Nationals 6-3 Friday night for their third straight victory.

The teams were tied at 2 after seven innings, but Washington’s normally reliable defense and bullpen failed it.

Ramirez, bothered recently by back spasms, hit a 2-2 pitch off reliever Luis Ayala just to the left of the 410-foot sign in center field for his seventh home run, putting Chicago ahead 3-2. Center fielder Brad Wilkerson tried to make a play, jumping and getting his glove over the fence, but he couldn’t find the ball, and tumbled to the warning track, losing his cap.

Ayala (2-2), making his major league-high 21st appearance, had worked scoreless relief in 12 of his previous 13 appearances. And closer Chad Cordero, who followed him, had never allowed an inherited runner to score – in his entire major league career, spanning 25 runners over 96 appearances.

Brewers 4, Pirates 3

PITTSBURGH – Geoff Jenkins doubled in the decisive run on a two-strike, two-out pitch in the ninth from Pittsburgh closer Jose Mesa, and the Milwaukee Brewers won their 11th in 14 games by rallying past the Pirates 4-3 Friday night.

Mesa, 12-for-12 in save opportunities but pitching in a non-save opportunity for the first time this season, walked pinch-hitter Jeff Cirillo to start the ninth before getting the next two batters. But Jenkins lined a 1-2 pitch into the right-field corner, helping hand the Pirates only their third loss in 10 games.

Pittsburgh was coming off a 7-3 road trip that was its best of 10 games or longer in 15 years, only to lose for the 10th time in 14 home games.

Chris Capuano (3-2) pitched a career-high eight innings in his 25th major league start, giving up three runs and seven hits, striking out six and walking three. He allowed nine runs in nine innings in his previous two starts against Pittsburgh.

Derrick Turnbow pitched the ninth for his sixth save in seven opportunities, giving him four wins and four saves in the Brewers’ last 13 games.

Mets 2, Cardinals 0

NEW YORK – Tom Glavine snapped a personal slump with his one of his best performances of the season and Cliff Floyd hit two huge home runs as the New York Mets defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Friday night.

The 39-year-old left-hander, who came into the game with opponents hitting .333 against him, limited St. Louis to four singles in seven-plus innings and was in charge throughout against a team that came in with the best record in the league (22-12). St. Louis had 32 hits and 20 runs in its last two games against Los Angeles.

Glavine (2-4) had allowed 19 runs and 29 hits in 14 innings over his last three starts. But against the Cardinals, he was masterful, retiring 12 straight at one point and flashing the form that made him baseball’s third winningest active pitcher with his 264th victory. Only Roger Clemens (330) and Greg Maddux (307) are ahead of him.

Floyd hit his ninth and 10th homers of the season, both long shots that accounted for the game’s only runs.

Floyd’s homer in the second inning hit the scoreboard in right-center field and traveled an estimated 425 feet. He connected again in the seventh, this one an estimated 415 feet over the fence in right.

Phillies 12, Reds 2

PHILADELPHIA – Todd Pratt hit a three-run homer and tied career highs with four hits and five RBIs to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 12-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Brett Myers tossed seven strong innings and Tomas Perez had a three-run double in the seventh as the Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak. Bobby Abreu had his team-record streak of home runs in five straight games ended.

With Mike Lieberthal out after injuring a finger in Thursday’s game, Pratt made the most of his eighth start of the year by going 4-for-4 with a walk. Pratt, a career backup catcher who played on Philadelphia’s 1993 NL championship team, last drove in five runs in 1994.

He had a pretty good night calling a game, too.

Myers (3-2) continued to look strong this year, making his fourth straight start without allowing more than five hits. Myers gave up five hits, struck out eight and walked three.

Eric Milton (2-4), who won 14 games for the Phillies last season, got rocked in his first career start against his former team.

Giants 4, Astros 2

HOUSTON – Kirk Reuter threw seven strong innings and pinch-hitter Jason Ellison homered in the eighth Friday night, leading San Francisco to a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros, Giants manager Felipe Alou’s 900th career win.

Reuter (2-2) allowed one run and six hits and walked two. For the third time this season, Reuter didn’t record a strikeout but benefited from two double plays.

Tyler Walker pitched the ninth for his third save in four opportunities.

Ezequiel Astacio (0-2) started and went five innings, allowing two runs, one earned, and three hits for the Astros, who have lost four straight and 10 of 11.

Alou has a 900-866 won-loss record in 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos and Giants. He becomes the ninth active manager with 900 victories.

With the bases loaded in the first inning, Edgardo Alfonzo drove in one run when he grounded into the hole and shortstop Adam Everett threw to first baseman Jose Vizcaino who attempted to tag Alfonzo. The ball popped out and a second run scored on Vizcaino’s error.

Everett hit a bases loaded single in the second inning to close the Giants’ lead to 2-1.

Leading off the eighth inning, Ellison hit an 0-2 pitch from reliever Chad Qualls to make it 3-1, and Marquis Grissom’s single to center drove in another run in the inning to make it 4-1.

Orlando Palmeiro had an RBI single in the eighth for Houston.

Notes: Houston’s Eric Bruntlett flied out in the fifth to drop to 0-for-13 this season, the most at-bats without a hit in the majors this year. … Giants are 17-3 all-time at Minute Maid Park. … Ellison’s home run was the first of his career as a pinch hitter and the first pinch-hit homer this season for the Giants.

AP-ES-05-13-05 2256EDT