Braves hold off Mets

Aug 9, 2007, 20:00 GMT

Flushing, NY - Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira hit back-to- back homers, and Willie Harris robbed Carlos Delgado of a game-tying homer in the ninth to help the Atlanta Braves hold on to a 7-6 win over the New York Mets, taking two of a three-game set.

Tim Hudson (13-5) held the Mets to three runs on nine hits in six innings, fanning three and walking one. Teixeira finished 2-for-5 and scored twice for the Braves, who have won four of five. Oscar Villarreal recorded the last two outs for his first-career save.

John Maine (12-7) was roughed up for seven hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking three. Wright finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, and Jose Reyes also went 3-for-5, scoring three times for the Mets, who have dropped three of five.

A four-run ninth-inning lead almost crumbled away, thanks to the Braves bullpen. Tyler Yates opened the ninth on the mound for Atlanta, and promptly allowed a single to pinch-hitter Ruben Gotay and a double to Reyes. Luis Castillo's groundout scored one run, and Wright followed by golfing a low fastball deep into the bleachers in left-center, pulling the Mets to within one.

Villarreal then entered for Atlanta, but Delgado greeted him with a drive to deep left. Harris saved the day for the Braves, though, leaping to snare the ball inches above the fence. Moises Alou then grounded out, ending the game.

'It was one of those situations where we were playing no doubles ... so I was already back far enough. I didn't think it was going to go out. Once it got up there it just kept going. It was huge for us, a good motivation boost,' said Harris.

The Braves took the lead with back-to-back home runs by Chipper Jones and Teixeira in the fifth. Hudson led off with an infield single, and Harris walked. Jones stepped in after a Kelly Johnson fielder's choice and belted a 470-foot drive to right-center, a three-run shot that put Atlanta on top. Teixeira followed with a homer to right, his fourth since coming over from Texas, and the Braves led 5-2.

'If we continue to spot teams six runs, or five runs in an inning like we've been, it's tough,' said Wright. 'You have to go out there and score a couple more runs early. Our offense had an opportunity break it open early, we just couldn't get that big hit.'

The Mets shaved the deficit to 5-3 on Delgado's RBI single in the home half, but the Braves added another run on a perfectly executed safety squeeze by Hudson in the sixth. With Yunel Escobar on third and one out, Hudson bunted to the right side of the infield. Maine pounced on the ball and flipped to Ramon Castro, but Escobar slid in safely.

Atlanta added another run in the seventh when, with runners at the corners and no outs, Jeff Francoeur grounded into a double play, giving the Braves a four- run lead.

Reyes' speed paid off in the first, as he legged out an infield single, moved to second on Castillo's sacrifice bunt, and came home on Wright's single to left. Alou's RBI single in the third gave the Mets a 2-0 edge.

The Braves got one run back in the fourth, when Brian McCann singled to center, moved to third on Francoeur's base hit to center, and scored on an Andruw Jones sacrifice fly to left, narrowly beating the throw from Alou.

Game Notes

Hudson is now 93-1 with a lead of three runs or more...The Mets lost center fielder Marlon Anderson in the fourth inning with a sprained left wrist he suffered while attempting to make a diving catch on a single off the bat of McCann. He is day-to-day. Lastings Milledge replaced Anderson in the lineup...This was the fourth time the Braves have hit back-to-back homers this year, the first time involving Chipper Jones.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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