The Houston Astros must have been blinded by the division title in their sights. 
Jeff Bagwell made a pair of throwing errors and Moises Alou dropped a fly ball as the Astros wasted their first chance of winning the National League Central Division title, suffering a 10-6 loss Saturday to the St. Louis Cardinals. 
Dave Veres worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning and Jim Edmonds collected four RBI for the Cardinals, who set up a winner-take-all regular-season finale. 
"It was a really exciting game," Cards manager Tony La Russa said. "It sets up even more fun tomorrow. We'll come out tomorrow and enjoy playing the last game of the season. With stakes like that, that's what you dream about." 
The teams started the day tied atop the Central with identical 92-68 records, but the Astros could have clinched the division with a win, based on their edge in the season series. Now, the Cardinals can take the division with a win Sunday. 
Houston can win its fourth division title in five years with a victory Sunday. That would give the Astros and Cards identical 93-69 records and Houston a 9-7 edge in the season series. 
"It's all on the line," Astros closer Billy Wagner said. "The better team will win tomorrow and they will be the division champions. 
"The good thing is, we're both going to the playoffs. But if you want that title as the best in our division, the best team's got to show up tomorrow." 
Sunday's loser will be the NL wild card and visit the West champion Arizona Diamondbacks in a Division Series. The winner will host the Atlanta Braves. 
With newly minted home run champion Barry Bonds sitting out, James Baldwin tossed seven scoreless innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers rolled to a 6-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants. 
One night after hitting his 71st and 72nd homers to break the single-season major league record, Bonds was kept out of the starting lineup. But he received a standing ovation when he appeared as a pinch hitter with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, lining the only pitch he saw into right field for a single. 
Bonds immediately left for a pinch runner and pinch hitter J.T. Snow delivered a two-run single with two out. But it was not enough for the Giants, who were eliminated from postseason contention following Friday night's 11-10 loss. 
Acquired from the Chicago White Sox to improve the Dodgers' playoff chances, Baldwin ended a personal five-game losing streak. He gave up three singles and two walks and struck out two for his first win since August 23. 
Matt Herges breezed through the eighth but ran into trouble in the ninth before Jeff Shaw struck out rookie Cody Ransom for his 43rd save in 52 chances. 
Rickey Henderson got just one hit, but Phil Nevin hit three homers. 
Henderson doubled in the first inning to move within one hit of 3,000 and Nevin supplied the offense with his three blasts as the San Diego Padres routed the visiting Colorado Rockies, 10-4. 
After collecting his 2,999th career hit to lead off the bottom of the first, Henderson had four more at-bats to become the 25th player to reach the hallowed milestone. 
But the all-time leader in steals and runs scored, grounded out to second in the second, flied out to right in the fifth and sixth and bounced out to shortstop in the eighth. 
"I keep getting closer and closer, but it ain't happening now," Henderson said. "We'll see what happens tomorrow. If it's meant to be, it will happen tomorrow." 
Julian Tavarez carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning and Roosevelt Brown drove in a career-high seven run as the Chicago Cubs posted a 13-2 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a doubleheader. 
With one out in the eighth, Tavarez gave up a bases-loaded single to Mendy Lopez, scoring Craig Wilson and Gary Matthews Jr. It was the only hit allowed by the righthander, who walked five and struck out nine. He became the fourth Cubs pitcher to reach double figures in victories this season. 
Brown hit three-run homers in the first and eighth innings and lifted a sacrifice fly in the seventh. 
In the second game, David Coggin allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings as the Phillies downed the Reds, 5-1. 
The sweep was the Phillies first in Cincinnati since May 26, 1963. Philadelphia clinched second place in the National League East with a 2-1 triumph in the opener. 
Coggin walked three, struck out two and won for just the second time in eight starts. 
The Cincinnati Reds have never been worse at home. 
Cincinnati fell to a woeful 27-52 at Cinergy Field, its worst home mark since the club lost 51 times while playing at Crosley Field in 1937. 
Daal , a 19-game loser last season, had something to do with the Reds' latest home loss. The crafty lefthander surrendered just three hits, walking none while striking out three.