New York Mets starter Pedro Martinez came off the disabled list to earn his eighth win of the season. Associated Press Photo.

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves made another trade to bulk up their bullpen Friday night, acquiring reliever Danys Baez and infielder Willy Aybar from the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit.

The deal was announced after the Braves' 6-4 loss to New York, which left them 13 games behind the Mets in the NL East. Atlanta's best hope for making its 15th straight playoff appearance is the wild card, and they are counting on Baez to provide a reliable set-up man for new closer Bob Wickman.

The Braves began the day with a bullpen that ranked 14th in the league with a 4.76 ERA.

The Braves acquired Wickman, a two-time All Star, from the Cleveland Indians last week. Baez, a right-hander, had a total of 71 saves the last two years with Tampa Bay, and the Braves tried to acquire him during the winter meetings.

Instead, he was traded to the Dodgers, where he went 5-5 with a 4.35 ERA and nine saves this season.

The Braves also tried to sign Wickman during the offseason in the search for a new closer.

The Braves paid a higher price for Baez than they did for Wickman, who was acquired for a low-level minor leaguer.

Betemit has been the Braves' most valuable player off the bench, filling in at second, short and third when the starters were sidelined by injuries. The 26-year-old switch-hitter is batting .281 with nine homers and 29 RBIs.

The Dodgers are counting on Betemit to help lift them out of a terrible slump. Going into Friday night's game against Washington, they had lost eight in a row and were 1-13 since the All-Star break, getting outscored 81-29 during that stretch.

Once one of the Braves' top prospects, Betemit struggled for a couple of years to make it to the majors, but he's been a reliable player the last two seasons who seems ready to make the next step toward being a full-time starter.

Aybar has played second and third this season, batting .250 with three homers and 22 RBIs, and was highly recommended by the Braves' scouts.

The Dodgers were looking for more immediate help to break out of their slide, which dropped them to last in the NL West.

Diamondbacks 8, Astros 7, 11 innings

HOUSTON - Luis Gonzalez doubled in the 11th inning off Andy Pettitte and scored on Johnny Estrada's sacrifice fly.

Luke Scott became the first Astros rookie to hit for the cycle, on a night that included a three-run homer and five RBIs. He was the sixth Astros player to hit for the cycle and the first since Craig Biggio in 2002.

Scott singled with two outs in the 11th to finish a 4-for-6 night, but Tony Pena (2-0) got Lance Berkman on a ground out to end the game.

Andy Pettitte (9-11) failed in his first relief appearance since 1998 with the Yankees. Gonzalez, who also had an RBI single, hammered Pettitte's second pitch off the left-field wall.

Dodgers 13, Nationals 1

LOS ANGELES - J.D. Drew ended a 42-game home run drought with his third career grand slam and Cesar Izturis homered for the first time in exactly a year.

The outburst was a welcome sight for the last-place Dodgers, who snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Andre Ethier added a two-run homer and Chad Billingsley (2-3) coasted to his first victory at Dodger Stadium.

Tony Armas Jr. (7-6) lasted only three innings, giving up six runs and seven hits in his third start since coming off the disabled list.

Reds 4, Brewers 3

MILWAUKEE - Ryan Freel doubled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Eric Milton bounced back from a shaky first with six scoreless innings.

The loss dropped the Brewers, who have watched their playoff hopes fade while losing nine of 13, a season-high seven games below .500. Earlier in the day, Milwaukee dealt All-Star outfielder Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers after failing to sign him to a contract extension.

Milton (7-6) had allowed four runs or more in five of his last seven outings, but was sharp against the Brewers.

Rockies 3, Padres 1

DENVER - Byung-Hyun Kim allowed five hits in 7 2-3 innings, baffling the Padres with his stop-and-go delivery, striking out seven in the longest outing of his career.

Kim (6-6) got his first win since June 25.

Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 21 chances. Cory Sullivan made a diving catch in center on Mike Piazza's line drive with a man on first for the final out.

Marlins 4, Phillies 1

PHILADELPHIA - Rookie Ricky Nolasco didn't allow a hit through 6 2-3 innings and combined with two relievers for a three-hitter.

Nolasco (9-6) allowed only an infield single off his glove to light-hitting Abraham Nunez and walked five in 7 1-3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and hit one batter. Chase Utley singled off reliever Tyler Tankersley in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to 28 games, the longest in the major leagues this season.

Brett Myers (6-5) gave up one run and five hits, striking out eight in eight innings.

Cubs 6, Cardinals 5

CHICAGO - Juan Pierre's bases-loaded triple highlighted a six-run fourth inning and Chicago capitalized on a key error by St. Louis third baseman Scott Rolen.

The game was tied at 3 with two outs in the fourth when Chicago starter Carlos Marmol hit a grounder to Rolen. The six-time Gold Glover threw high to first, pulling Albert Pujols off the bag and loading the bases for Pierre.

St. Louis pitcher Jason Marquis (12-8) gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out one in 3 2-3 innings.

Marmol (4-4) walked seven before being pulled in the sixth.

Pirates 3, Giants 0

PITTSBURGH - Kip Wells won for the first time in 10 months, pitching his best game of the season.

Wells tossed seven-plus shutout innings, allowing five hits while walking three and striking out three.

Wells (1-5) had not won since Oct. 1 of last season. He missed almost three months to start this season due to March surgery to repair a blocked artery in his pitching arm.

Jason Schmidt (7-7) gave up three runs in six innings.