Getafe eased past 10-man Granada 2-0 on Sunday to match a club record with a fourth consecutive win that kept the Madrid side close to the top four in the Spanish league.
Rayo Vallecano and Elche also had players dismissed but both earned victories away from home, while Sevilla conceded two goals in the last 10 minutes to slip to a 2-2 draw at Valladolid.
Visiting Getafe was helped by a disastrous day for Granada's center backs, with one being sent off early and the other opening the scoring with an own goal.
Pape Diakhate received his second yellow card in the 31st minute and defensive partner Jeison Murillo knocked Pedro Leon's cross into Granada's goal two minutes after halftime.
Leon sealed the result for Getafe in the 55th with a first-touch strike from the edge of the area.
''Not long ago we were in second-to-last place and now we have won five of our last six games, that's a tremendous run in the first division,'' said Getafe coach Luis Garcia. ''I'm very happy for my players and our fans. They should enjoy this, but stay humble and keep working.''
Getafe climbed to one point behind fourth-place Villarreal before it plays at Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
Barcelona leads the league after a 0-0 draw at Osasuna on Saturday when Atletico Madrid lost 1-0 at Espanyol to fall one point behind. Real Madrid is a further two points back in third place after beating Malaga 2-0, also on Saturday.
Granada's struggles in attack continued with a league-low five goals through nine rounds. Its fourth loss in five home games this season sparked sections of the Los Carmenes Stadium crowd to call for coach Lucas Alcaraz to step down.
Rayo defender Alejandro Galvez's stinging free kick in the 78th lifted his team 1-0 over last-place Almeria, which remained the only side in the top flight without a win this season.
Rayo appeared to be in trouble after defender Saul Niguez was dismissed with his second booking in the 65th.
But Almeria failed to take advantage of the extra man before Galvez blasted a free kick just inside the near corner of the upright to give Rayo its second win in a row.
''We are down, just like everyone who feels something for this team,'' said coach Francisco Rodriguez, who hired by the promoted Almeria this offseason.
Elche built an early lead and held on after going down a man to edge Real Betis 2-1, giving the promoted side its third straight victory.
Elche struck first in Seville when Manuel del Moral headed in Domingo Cisma's well-placed cross to meet his run at the first post in the 29th.
Fidel Chivas extended Elche's lead five minutes later, only for Jorge Molina to pull one back for Betis in the 41st.
Elche resisted for almost the entire second half after Cisma saw his second yellow card a minute after the break.
Sevilla dominated Valladolid for 80 minutes after going in front on striker Carlos Bacca's precise strike two minutes in that Alberto Moreno doubled in the 31st with a long-range effort.
Yet when it looked like Valladolid was done, substitute Manucho rose over his marker to head home a cross in the 81st, and three minutes later Patrick Ebert curled in a free kick to split the points.
