ATLANTA — CC Sabathia was working on another complete game when Brewers manager Ned Yost decided to lift the big left-hander in the ninth inning.

The way Sabathia is going, it's likely to happen his next time out anyway.

Sabathia pitched deep into the game in another terrific outing for Milwaukee and Prince Fielder hit two home runs yesterday, leading the Brewers to a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Sabathia struck out nine in 8 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits. He improved to 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA in six starts with Milwaukee, which acquired him from the Cleveland Indians last month.

"It's been going well so far," Sabathia said. "I just want to be able to keep us in games."

The Brewers equaled a club record with their ninth straight road win and stayed four games back of NL Central-leading Chicago, which beat Pittsburgh, 5-1, yesterday. Milwaukee has won the first two games of its series with Atlanta after being swept in a four-game series at home against the Cubs.

Sabathia, looking for his fourth complete game with the Brewers, departed after Omar Infante led off the ninth with a double and advanced to third on a groundout. He threw 109 pitches.

"I don't want him to throw 125 pitches every time out," Yost said. "It's senseless. I don't mind 110."

Sabathia said he wanted to finish but understood why Yost replaced him with Salomon Torres.

"When he came to take me out, I wasn't surprised," Sabathia said.

Torres got the final two outs for his 21st save in 25 attempts, yielding a two-out RBI single to Kelly Johnson before retiring Clint Sammons on a flyball to center to end the game.

Charlie Morton (2-5) set down 15 straight Brewers after Craig Counsell's leadoff single in the second, but Fielder led off the seventh with his 24th home run, tying it at 1. Corey Hart followed with a bunt single, took second on a groundout and scored on a two-out double by Jason Kendall.

Fielder, who hit a two-run drive off Rafael Soriano in the eighth, has homered in four straight games.

Braves ace Tim Hudson wanted to test his arm one more time to convince himself that season-ending elbow ligament replacement surgery was necessary.

After feeling more discomfort while trying to play catch yesterday, Hudson is convinced.

"All the arrows are pointing that way," Hudson said, adding he plans to have the surgery within a week.

Astros 5, Mets 4: Lance Berkman raced home when Darin Erstad lined out to left in the bottom of the 10th inning as Houston beat New York after tying it on a memorable play in the ninth inning.

New York was leading 4-2 when Houston loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against closer Billy Wagner.

Pinch-hitter Geoff Blum then lined a single to left and Hunter Pence raced around third, right on Mark Loretta's heels. Both players slid in safely in a three-player collision with catcher Ramon Castro, who lost the ball. Castro left the game with a sprained right ankle.

Cubs 5, Pirates 1: Reed Johnson had three hits, Geovany Soto drove in two runs and Ted Lilly (11-6) allowed one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings as host Chicago beat Pittsburgh to win for the sixth time in its last seven games.

Lilly battled through early control problems, throwing 54 pitches in the first two innings before finishing strong.

Phillies 2, Cardinals 1: Joe Blanton (1-0) gave up four hits, including Ryan Ludwick's 427-foot drive, in seven innings, Greg Dobbs hit a solo homer in the third and Ryan Howard hit his 31st for his major league-leading 96th RBI with two outs in the fourth to lift visiting Philadelphia over St. Louis.

The NL East-leading Phillies have homered in 11 straight games, totaling 19, and have won six of seven.

Marlins 5, Rockies 3: Ricky Nolasco (11-6) allowed three runs and four hits over eight innings with a career-high 13 strikeouts, and Jeff Baker hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBIs to lead host Florida past Colorado.

Baker's homer off Colorado starter Valerio De Los Santos (0-1) gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead in the second inning. Baker drove in another run in the third.

Nationals 10, Reds 6: Pete Orr picked up his first RBIs in more than 15 months, slapping a pinch-hit, two-run single into left field to cap a four-run bottom of the seventh inning that put Washington ahead to stay in its victory over Cincinnati.

Orr's single gave the Nationals something they haven't had since June — a two-game winning streak at home.

Giants 2, Padres 0: Barry Zito (6-13) gave up three hits in a season-high eight innings to outpitch Jake Peavy (8-7) and avoid setting a career high for losses in a season as visiting San Francisco beat San Diego.

Each pitcher allowed just two hits through the first six innings. But the Giants struck in the seventh on Bengie Molina's RBI single, and made it 2-0 on an RBI single by Emmanuel Burriss off Cla Meredith in the ninth.

Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 2: Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake hit their first home runs as National Leaguers and Hiroki Kuroda pitched into the eighth inning, helping host Los Angeles close to two game of first-place Arizona in the West.

Kuroda (6-8) allowed a run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings to win for the first time since beating Atlanta, 9-0, with a one-hitter on July 7.