The Associated Press

HOUSTON - Mark Prior took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Chicago Cubs moved within a half-game of the Houston Astros in the NL Central with a 6-0 victory Wednesday night.

Prior (12-5) allowed four hits and struck out nine in seven shutout innings as the Cubs snapped a three-game losing streak. He had a no-hitter until Adam Everett led off the sixth with a double.

The win was Prior's fourth straight since coming off the disabled list Aug. 4 with a bruised right shoulder. He has allowed just two earned runs in 31 innings for a 0.58 ERA, with 29 strikeouts and three walks in those four starts.

Kyle Farnsworth pitched the eighth and Joe Borowski the ninth to complete the Cubs' eighth shutout this season.

Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and Randall Simon added a three-run shot in the sixth for the Cubs.

Prior didn't get into trouble until the seventh, when Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo singled with one out. After pinch hitter Orlando Merced flied out, Brad Ausmus singled to load the bases but Everett flew out to end the threat.

Brewers 10, Phillies 1

MILWAUKEE - Richie Sexson hit a two-run homer and Brady Clark added a three-run shot as the Milwaukee roughed up Randy Wolf.

The start of the game was delayed 19 minutes when a power surge caused by the utility firm WE Energies - which was working on a power line outside the ballpark - shut down almost half of the lights at Miller Park during pregame introductions.

Wolf (12-8), who beat Milwaukee last Thursday and had won seven of his last 11 decisions, failed to reach the fifth inning for the first time this season.

Pirates 14, Cardinals 0

ST. LOUIS - Reggie Sanders became the first player to homer twice in an inning this season, the second one a grand slam that capped a 10-run fifth, as Pittsburgh hit a team record-tying seven home runs.

The Pirates were victimized by the Cardinals' 10-run eighth in a 13-5 loss Tuesday. They made sure this game was out of reach in the fifth, which ended with Pittsburgh leading 13-0.

Jeff D'Amico (8-12) threw a three-hitter for his fifth career complete game, his second this season. He won for only the second time in six decisions. A career .103 hitter entering the game, he also hit his second career homer in 137 at-bats for the Pirates' first run in the third.

Rockies 9, Marlins 3

DENVER - Preston Wilson, Chris Stynes and Ronnie Belliard each drove in two runs, and Cory Vance earned his first major-league victory.

Despite the loss, the Marlins remained a half game behind Philadelphia in the NL wild-card race. The Phillies lost to Milwaukee 10-1.

Vance, recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday, entered in the first inning when starter Darren Oliver bruised his left foot after taking a liner off the bat of Luis Castillo. Vance (1-0) went 5 1-3 innings, allowing four hits and one run. He benefited from double plays in the third and fourth innings.

Stynes and Juan Uribe each had three hits for Colorado.

Wild-card standings

	W	L	Pct	GB
Philadelphia	69	56	.552	-
Florida	69	57	.548	1/2
*Arizona	66	59	.528	3
Montreal	66	60	.524	3 1/2
St. Louis	66	61	.520	4
Chicago	65	60	.520	4
*L.A.	64	60	.516	4 1/2

(*Not including Wednesday's game)