ATLANTA (Georgia), Oct 13: Atlanta advanced to the National League finals by completing a sweep of Houston here Friday while Arizona beat St Louis to move within a victory of joining them.

Two-run home runs from Chipper Jones and Paul Bako powered the Braves past Houston 6-2 while the fourth-year Diamondbacks downed St Louis 5-3 to seize a 2-1 edge in their best-of-five first-round series.

The Braves open the best-of-seven league championship series Tuesday at Arizona or with a home-field edge to St Louis if the Cardinals should beat the Diamondbacks Saturday and Sunday.

Atlanta went 2-5 against Arizona this season and 3-3 against St Louis.

Arizona’s Craig Counsell crushed a 3-ball, 1-strike pitch off reliever Mike Matthews for a three-run homer with two out in the seventh inning to break a 2-2 deadlock.

South Korea’s Byung Hyun Kim earned the save, getting the final four outs while allowing no runs off one hit and two walks as well as making a key strikeout for the first out of the in the ninth inning.

St Louis star Mark McGwire came to the plate as a pinch-hitter but Kim got him to swat a low ball to third base for a game-ending double play.

Friday’s divisional playoff results (home team in CAPS):

National League

ATLANTA 6 Houston 2

(Atlanta win best-of-five series 3-0)

Arizona 5 ST LOUIS 3

(Arizona lead best-of-five series 2-1)

Friday’s NHL results (home team in CAPS):

Montreal 3 COLUMBUS 1

DETROIT 4 Buffalo 2

MINNESOTA 6 Chicago 4

ANAHEIM 2 Washington 1

—Reuters