Robert Lewandowski moved to the top of the scoring charts with two penalties securing Borussia Dortmund a 3-1 win at Mainz.
Pierre Aubameyang put the visitors in front in the 70th minute, but Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting soon levelled for the hosts, who had been unlucky to fall behind.
Their fortune then took another turn for the worse when Elkin Soto kept Lewandowski's goalbound shot out with his hand, earning a red card before the Pole converted.
Lewandowski then scored again from the spot to clinch the victory with his 10th goal of the campaign.
Heung-Min Son scored twice as Bayer Leverkusen bounced back from their midweek defeat in the Champions League to maintain their pursuit of Bayern Munich with a 3-0 win over winless Nurnberg.
Son scored the first and the last of the goals at the BayArena with Stefan Kiessling also on target with his ninth of the season.
The result leaves Leverkusen four points behind Bayern at the top of the table while Nurnberg remain in a share of bottom spot, three points adrift of safety.
Philipp Bargfrede scored in stoppage time as Werder Bremen twice fought back from a two-goal deficit to secure a 4-4 draw at Hoffenheim.
Sejad Sehovic scored penalties in the 12th and 18th minutes to give Hoffenheim a 2-0 lead, but Bremen went in at half-time level after Aaron Hunt converted a 45th-minute penalty and then Eljero Elia equalised in stoppage time.
Kevin Volland got Hoffenheim ahead in the 49th minute and Kai Herdling made it 4-2 after 53 minutes, but Nils Petersen cut the deficit to 4-3 in the 59th minute and then Bargfrede had the final dramatic word at the death.
Hertha Berlin and Augsburg split the spoils in a goalless draw that lacked any real highlights.
Wolfsburg were fortunate to escape with a point having been outplayed by northern German rivals Hamburg in Friday's clash.
Hakan Calhanoglu gave Hamburg the lead in the 20th minute before Ricardo Rodriguez equalised from the spot in the 31st minute for the hosts.
Hamburg should have snatched the points in the closing stages but were somehow held at bay, Ivo Ilicevic shooting against the woodwork in the 86th minute as their best chance went begging.
Wolfsburg extended their undefeated streak to seven matches and jumped to 23 points while Hamburg, who have collected just one victory in the last four matches, improved to 16 points.
