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. Pw Solar Hu NMD Canada . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Stan Smith Shoes Canada Sale .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. http://www.nmdshoescanada.com/nmd-r2-cheap-canada.html . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Adidas Prophere Canada . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. NMD Canada Sale . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services.Sky Sports is celebrating its 25th birthday this week - and taking viewers down a golden memory lane of some of the standout sporting moments broadcast on our channels in that time. Although Sky Sports F1 was only launched in 2012, the dedicated channel has already broadcast many memorable races and features in its first four years on air.From the dramatic 2012 Brazilian GP title decider featuring Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosbergs absorbing Duel in the Desert in Bahrain 2014, and Hamiltons second successive title win in Austin last year, F1 has not been short of dramatic, defining moments over that time. And who can forget some of Sky F1s very best race weekend features - including the Sand and Lawnmower Grands Prix featuring some of the sports most famous faces driving rather unusual vvehicles! Hit play on the video above to watch a compilation of the best bits of the first four years of Sky F1.ddddddddddddDont miss the F1 Report on Wednesday at 8:30pm on Sky Sports F1 for full analysis of an action-packed Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit. Natalie Pinkham is joined in the studio by Marc Priestley and Alex Lynn. Your favourite moment Vote for your favourite moment from 25 years of Sky Sports Also See: Vote: 25 years - 25 moments Get Sky F1: Every 2016 race live ' ' '