| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) -- Chipper Jones knew something good was going to happen.
|  | | Chipper Jones had two of the Braves' 14 hits -- both of them homers. |
Jones hit a pair of two-run homers, including a 443-foot blast,
and Kevin Millwood won for the first time in more than a month as the Atlanta Braves routed the Chicago Cubs 11-4 Tuesday night.
"I felt good during batting practice," Jones said. "I hit 95
percent of the pitches on the button."
The third baseman felt so good, he thought he was going to get
four or five hits.
"I had a premonition I was going to go 4-for-4 or 5-for-5, not
hit two home runs. But I'll take them," said Jones, a lock to
start for the NL All-Stars next month when the game is played in
Atlanta.
Quilvio Veras went 4-for-5, scored three runs and knocked in
three, Andruw Jones had a pair of hits -- including his 19th homer --
scored three times and drove in three runs, and Brian Jordan went
3-for-4 with an RBI in Atlanta's 14-hit attack.
"Chipper had a great game with the two home runs, and we got a
lot of key hits," Jordan said.
The Braves, coming off a dismal 3-5 road trip against the
Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies, lost four of five
before coming to life against the Cubs and right-hander Kevin
Tapani.
"It felt great especially after our disappointing game last
night (5-2 loss) in Philadelphia to come back home and get back on
track," Jordan said.
Chipper Jones, who matched his career high by getting a hit in
his 18th consecutive game, capped a four-run second inning off
Tapani with a shot into the right-center field stands, the fourth
longest home run hit at Turner Field. Former Brave Ryan Klesko has
the longest at 449 feet.
Chipper Jones added his second two-run shot in the fourth off
Steven Rain, a line drive into the left-field stands, his 18th
homer of the season.
"Nothing surprises me about Chipper. When he's swinging from
the left side, he's always dangerous," said Cubs manager Don
Baylor, the Braves' hitting coach last season.
"I've felt really good at the plate the last week or so,"
Jones said. "When I'm getting my pitch, I haven't been missing
it."
Millwood (5-6) last won on May 17. He was 0-4 with two
no-decisions and a 10.12 ERA during that span, but has thrown two
straight decent games.
The right-hander gave up one run in six innings of a 2-0 loss in
his last start against Pittsburgh.
"For the second game in a row I can say I pitched a pretty good
game," Millwood said. "I'm feeling pretty good now and my
confidence is building."
Millwood gave up four hits, one run, walked one and struck out
six, including Sammy Sosa twice, in six innings.
The Cubs' only run off Millwood came in the fourth on a leadoff
double by Mark Grace, a wild pitch and Henry Rodriguez's sacrifice
fly.
Tapani (4-7) lasted only two innings, giving up seven hits and
six runs. The right-hander was struck in the right heel by a liner
off the bat of Andruw Jones in the second inning, which may have
had something to do with his poor outing.
"It was very minor. It went to sleep for a little bit," Tapani
said. "It went numb. I don't think that had anything to do with
what happened."
Veras led off the Braves' first with a double, and Andruw Jones
followed with the shot that caromed off Tapani's right heel into
right field for an RBI double. After several warmup tosses, Tapani
signaled he was all right and continued. Two outs later, Jordan
singled to right, scoring Jones.
Veras had a two-run single in the second and an RBI double in a
three-run sixth. Andruw Jones followed with his two-run homer over
the left-field wall off reliever Daniel Garibay.
Eric Young was 4-for-4 for the Cubs.
Chicago's other three runs came on a solo home run in the eighth
by pinch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr., the first of his career, and RBI
hits by Sosa and Joe Girardi.
Matthews is the son of former major leaguer Gary Matthews, who
played with five major league clubs, including the Cubs and
Braves.
Game notes
Chipper Jones' hitting streak is the longest for the Braves
this season and equaled his longest, set in August 1996. It's the
longest for Atlanta since Marquis Grissom hit in 28 straight in
1996. The two-homer game was the 15th career for Jones. ... Veras'
four hits matched his career best, done four previous times. ...
Tapani worked at least seven innings in each of his previous nine
starts. The two innings pitched gave him 2,000 1-3 for his career.
... Ismael Valdes, scheduled to start Thursday against the Braves,
instead will start on Saturday at Florida to give a blister on his
pitching finger more time to heal. Left-hander Scott Downs will
replace Valdes on Thursday.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Chicago Cubs Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
RECAPS
Oakland 8
Baltimore 5
NY Yankees 3
Boston 0
Detroit 18
Toronto 6
Cleveland 4
Chi. White Sox 1
Texas 5
Minnesota 2
Kansas City 8
Anaheim 6
Seattle 4
Tampa Bay 3
Florida 8
Milwaukee 2
Pittsburgh 2
Montreal 1
Philadelphia 3
NY Mets 2
Cincinnati 3
Colorado 2
Atlanta 11
Chicago Cubs 4
Los Angeles 9
Houston 6
St. Louis 7
San Francisco 2
San Diego 3
Arizona 1
|