Uggla extends hit streak to 31 games

At this rate, Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez wouldn't mind sending Dan Uggla down to the minors for a day. Uggla is hitting so well, Gonzalez wants to keep the Braves second baseman in a groove.

Uggla extended his hitting streak to 31 games, the longest in the majors this season, with a two-run single in the first inning that sent the Braves past the Florida Marlins, 6-2, last night for a three-game sweep.

The Braves, who sent Florida to its seventh straight loss, are off today.

"Let's find a game for him to play tomorrow so he can stay hot," Gonzalez said. "We're going to send him to Gwinnett or Mobile or one of those places so he can keep swinging it."

Uggla tied Rico Carty for the second-longest hitting streak in franchise history. Tommy Holmes hit in 37 straight for the Boston Braves in 1945.

"It's crazy," Uggla said. "Was that one of the things I thought about when I got over here? No, obviously not, but it's a cool thing."

Uggla went 3-for-5. It was his ninth multi-hit game during the longest hitting streak in the majors this season. He is batting .224 overall.

The longest hitting streak by a second baseman in major-league history is 35 games, shared by Chase Utley (Phillies, 2006) and Luis Castillo (Marlins, 2002).

Phillies 9, Dodgers 8: Ryan Howard and Hunter Pence homered as Philadelphia overcame an early six-run deficit and completed a three-game sweep in Los Angeles.

The Phillies won for the 12th time in 13 games and completed a 9-1 road trip. They improved baseball's best record to 77-40 -- Philadelphia is 37 games over .500 for the first time since 1977.

Brewers 5, Cardinals 1: Randy Wolf pitched eight sharp innings and Prince Fielder had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and an RBI double in the third as visiting Milwaukee opened a five-game lead on the second-place Cardinals in the NL Central.

Pirates 9, Giants 2: Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer, and Jeff Karstens had a career-high nine strikeouts for visiting Pittsburgh.

Twins 5, Red Sox 2: Jim Thome hit a tiebreaking RBI double during host Minnesota's three-run eighth. Thome also had a run-scoring single as the Twins snapped a six-game losing streak and avoided a sweep.

Indians 10, Tigers 3: Ubaldo Jimenez won in his home debut and rookie Jason Kipnis went 5-for-5 with four runs and three RBIs as Cleveland won its 13th straight at home and closed within two games of the first-place Tigers. -- AP