SAN FRANCISCO - Alex Cora's second homer in two days provided the unexpected spark Los Angeles needed.
The light-hitting second baseman homered and drove in two again, and the Dodgers moved 21/2 games ahead of the Giants in the West with a 7-4 victory Sunday.
Barry Bonds' 703rd homer gave the Giants a third-inning lead. But Cora was one of several stars for the Dodgers, who manufactured more than enough runs to take two of three weekend games.
A day after sitting out in observance of Yom Kippur, Shawn Green drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth to put the Dodgers ahead.
Jayson Werth hit a two-run homer in the first off Brett Tomko, who lost for the first time in 12 starts since July 29. Jeff Weaver allowed nine hits over six innings for his first win in six starts, and Eric Gagne got six outs to earn his 45th save in 47 chances.
Deivi Cruz had three hits and an RBI for the Giants, who wasted a chance to reclaim the lead in the wild-card race from the Cubs. In its final home series of the regular season, San Francisco squandered several scoring chances and remained a half-game behind Chicago.
Bonds had walked seven straight times against the Dodgers before his homer. He drew a walk in his final plate appearance Friday night before receiving five Saturday and another in the first inning Sunday.
J.T. Snow then walked, but Gagne struck out Cruz to end it.
METS 3, CUBS 2: Al Leiter pitched two-hit ball for six innings to earn his first win in six weeks, and host New York put another dent in Chicago's playoff hopes.
The Mets capitalized on a streak of wildness by Cubs starter Kerry Wood to score three in the first. Leadoff batter Jose Reyes walked, stole second and scored on Kaz Matsui's single. After a double play, rookies Craig Brazell and Victor Diaz singled.
Then Eric Valent and Jason Phillips were hit by pitches, forcing in one run, and a bases-loaded walk to Gerald Williams brought in another.
ASTROS 11, BREWERS 7: Raul Chavez drove in a career-high five as visiting Houston outslugged Milwaukee. Lance Berkman and Jeff Kent homered for the Astros, who kept the heat on Chicago and San Francisco in the wild-card race. Houston returns to Minute Maid Park to play St. Louis and Colorado three times each during the final week of the season.
BRAVES 6, MARLINS 3: Visiting Florida was eliminated from postseason contention as Atlanta's John Thomson allowed one run in seven innings. Last season, the Marlins won the wild card at 91-71 and beat the Yankees in the World Series.
PADRES 7, D'BACKS 1: Jake Peavy pitched six strong innings and improved his league-leading ERA to 2.25 as host San Diego pulled within 21/2 of the Cubs in the wild-card race.
PHILLIES 2, EXPOS 1: Bobby Abreu hit a two-run double to back a solid outing by former Devil Ray Cory Lidle for visiting Philadelphia.
CARDINALS 9, ROCKIES 3: Albert Pujols hit his 46th homer, one off the major-league lead, and Jason Marquis pitched seven strong innings as visiting St. Louis won its fourth straight.
PIRATES 4, REDS 2: Slumping Tike Redman hit two run-scoring singles as host Pittsburgh stopped a five-game losing streak.
