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ATLANTA -- After Mike Minor pitched like a rising ace, he tipped his cap to the injured leader of the Atlanta Braves rotation. Minor allowed only one run to give the depleted staff a lift, Jason Heyward homered, and the Braves beat Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 in a matchup of division leaders on Friday night. Minor (10-5) gave up four hits with no walks in seven innings. His sharp performance came two days after Tim Hudson was lost for the season with a broken right ankle. Minor, who became the first Braves pitcher to reach 10 wins, lowered his ERA to 2.89. His strong start was especially important after Hudsons season ended. Asked if he felt he needed to step up as the staff ace, Minor said, "Thats not really my role. I go out every fifth day and just try to pitch. "With Huddy going down, that was our ace. That was our best guy. We just need everybody else to step it up a little bit." The Atlanta rotation also is without left-hander Paul Maholm, who is expected to miss at least one start because of a bruised left wrist. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez also resisted suggestions that Minor is emerging as the top pitcher on a young staff that also includes rookies Julio Teheran and Alex Wood. "Lets not get there yet," Gonzalez said. "Mike Minor doesnt have to do anything. Hes been this good for a while. We saw him growing up and getting better and better about this time last year. Lets let him dictate his own career and lets not start putting labels yet." Wainwright (13-6), the NL leader in wins, took his first loss since a 2-1 decision to Texas on June 23. Yadier Molina gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead with his eighth homer in the second inning. The Braves answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Wainwright allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits and one walk in seven innings. He complimented the Braves hitters on their patience in trying for opposite-field hits. "I think I just have to tip my hat," Wainwright said. "I think they had a great approach from the first pitch of the game on. "They took some great at-bats off me, worked the counts, and they didnt get pull-happy out there. Really, they hit some tough pitches and worked some tough at-bats. Sometimes you just get beat. I had some pretty good stuff tonight." The Braves took a 2-1 lead with four hits off Wainwright in the second. Brian McCann doubled, moved to third on Dan Ugglas single, and scored on Chris Johnsons single to left field. Minor added a single with two outs to drive in Uggla. Heyward pushed the lead to 3-1 with his eighth homer, a one-out shot to left field, in the fifth. "I got a pitch to hit," Heyward said before adding that Wainwright "made a mistake with a changeup away." With one out in the seventh, and Johnson on first base following his second hit, Joey Terdoslavich pinch-hit for Minor and hit a grounder to shortstop Pete Kozma, who threw wild toward second base. Johnson scored on the error. Jordan Walden pitched a perfect eighth inning before Craig Kimbrel recorded the final three outs for his 29th save. Heyward, sprinting toward the infield from right field, made a diving catch to take a hit away from David Freese in the fifth inning. Heyward rolled and came up holding the ball as Minor slapped his glove in approval on the mound. NOTES: Of Minors 103 pitches, 70 were strikes. ... Attendance was 50,124, a sellout. ... Hudson had surgery to repair his broken right ankle. His wife, Kim, said on her Twitter account the procedure went well. ... RHP Brandon Beachy, recovering from right elbow ligament-replacement surgery in June 2012, will come off the DL to take Hudsons rotation spot Monday night against Colorado. ... Cardinals LHP John Gast had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. He could return in eight to 12 months. Gast was 2-0 with a 5.11 ERA in three starts before he was placed on the disabled list on May 26 with a left shoulder strain. ... Teheran will face Joe Kelly in a matchup of right-handers on Saturday. Kelly will be making his fourth start of the season.Randall Cobb Jersey . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Xavier Sua-Filo Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. http://www.cheapcowboysjerseyschina.com/brandon-knight-jersey/ . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. 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Tyron Smith Jersey . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan.NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Denver Broncos find themselves in catch-up mode in the mighty AFC West, and time is starting to run out for the defending Super Bowl champs to gain ground on Oakland and Kansas City.We understand this stretch, where were at and how well were going to have to play, but were excited and looking forward to it, Denver coach Gary Kubiak said.For the Tennessee Titans, hosting the Broncos on Sunday is the biggest game this franchise has played in years.Yes, really.The Titans (6-6) share the AFC South lead with both Houston and Indianapolis, a spot Tennessee hasnt held this late in a season since 2008 when winning the division wire-to-wire for the teams most recent playoff berth.The Titans have had four chances to climb above .500 this season and lost each time. Now they are well-rested coming off their latest bye in franchise history, and linebacker Brian Orakpo believes everyones refreshed and ready to chase a playoff berth after finishing the 2015 season with the No. 1 overall draft pick.Theyre fighting for a position, and were fighting for a position, Orakpo said. Its definitely going to be a great game.The Broncos are working through the NFLs toughest finishing stretch after their overtime loss to Kansas City and a 20-10 win in Jacksonville last week, and now they hit the road again.Then it gets really challenging with a visit from New England before Denver goes to Kansas City and wraps up the season hosting Oakland.We know were going to have to play really, really well, Kubiak said. Well, were going to have to play great if were going to get there, and we know that.Here are some things to know as the Broncos and Titans chase a playoff berth:WHOS AT QB: Kubiak is hoping Trevor Siemian is back after missing the Jacksonville win with a left mid-foot sprain. Rookie Paxton Lynch, who played collegiately at Memphis, got his first career win against the Jaguars, but completed only half his passes for 104 yards.Siemian threw for a career-high 386 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the 30-27 overtime loss to Kansas City. Kubiak said they will have both quarterbacks ready to play Sunday.MARIOTA STREAKING: The Titans have no such questtions at quarterback with Marcus Mariota a big reason why they have won five of their past eight games.ddddddddddddHe has set a franchise record in throwing at least two TDs in each of the past eight games, and he has thrown 21 TDs with just three interceptions in that span. Mariota leads the NFL with a 117.7 passer rating and the Titans lead the NFL in scoring an average of 30.8 points per game since Oct. 6.I think the same Mariota you saw in college, thats the same quarterback youre seeing now, Broncos linebacker Von Miller said.Its rare that you find a quarterback that has that success in college and continues to have the same type of success in the National Football League. Mariota, hes doing it.GET THE BALL: The Broncos have scored a league-high 103 points off turnovers and will test Mariotas improved ball security. Opponents scored five TDs earlier this season off the Titans quarterbacks interceptions and fumbles, but the Titans have not turned the ball over even once over the past three games.DEFENSIVE SHOWDOWN: Denver has the NFLs stingiest defense against the pass, giving up just 192.7 yards per game. But the Broncos will have to find a way to slow down DeMarco Murray, the leagues second-best rusher. The Titans rank third in the league in averaging 141.5 yards per game with run defense a big issue for Denver, which is 28th in allowing 122.8 yards per game.Titans coach Mike Mularkey said Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is too smart not to be ready to stop the run. And well be ready to throw it against their No. 1 pass defense, Mularkey said.THIN BACKFIELD: Running back Justin Forsett, 31, was claimed off waivers Monday from Detroit and is expected to play in Tennessee. The Broncos have three running backs on injured reserve with Kapri Bibbs the latest after spraining his left ankle in Jacksonville. The Titans are giving up just 92.3 yards rushing per game, seventh in the NFL.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL .---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker ' ' '