Sep 18, 2007, 2:30 GMT
Atlanta, GA - Chipper Jones had three hits and knocked in a pair of runs as the Atlanta Braves held off the Florida Marlins, 11-6, in the opener of a three-game series at Turner Field.
Andruw Jones hit a three-run homer and Jeff Francoeur had a pair of hits and also drove in three runs for Atlanta, which is treading water in the National League wild card race remains 5 1/2 games behind San Diego. The Padres beat Pittsburgh, 3-0, Monday night.
John Smoltz (14-7) allowed just one run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts over six innings. The 40-year-old right-hander has allowed just 11 hits and four runs over 19 innings while going 2-0 in his last three starts.
'It was good to score for (Smoltz),' said Francoeur. 'When we have gotten him a win it's like 3-2 or something, and you breathe a little harder. So to get a win like that was nice and something that hopefully will mean a lot that we can go out there and score some runs for him.'
Cody Ross had three hits, including a solo homer, for the Marlins, who have dropped two straight. Mike Jacobs also homered and scored twice.
'It's a game we kinda got down early and (they scored) too many runs to try and come back, but we never gave up,' said Ross. 'We continued to battle and fight and tried to put up as many runs as we could, but it wasn't enough in the end.'
Byung-Hyun Kim (9-7) was touched for a career-worst nine runs and nine hits, with a walk and three strikeouts in just four-plus innings.
It took the Braves just three batters in to dent the scoreboard, as Kelly Johnson was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a one-out single by Chipper Jones.
The Marlins quickly tied it in the second on Ross' homer, but the momentum swung back in Atlanta's favor courtesy of a four-run third.
Johnson's ground-rule double started things off before Edgar Renteria's single put runners at the corners. Chipper Jones' second hit of the night scored Johnson and Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Brian McCann. A sacrifice fly brought home Renteria, Francoeur singled home another run and a Brandon Jones fly ball plated Teixeira to make it 5-1.
Francoeur's bases-loaded, two-run double continued the rout in the fifth inning, before Andruw Jones blasted a three-run homer off reliever Daniel Barone to give the Braves a 10-1 lead.
Florida showed some life in the seventh, as Jacobs clubbed a lead-off homer. Alfredo Amezaga doubled home the club's third run, then scored on a base hit by Hanley Ramirez to cut it to 10-4.
The comeback continued in the eighth, as Jeremy Hermida walked, went to second on a wild pitch and scampered to third on a Jacobs single. The Braves called on Peter Moylan to stop the bleeding, but Ross followed with an RBI double before Miguel Olivo's groundout to short plated Jacobs to make it 10-6.
Julio Franco's pinch-hit, RBI single in the eighth gave the Braves an insurance run, before Rafael Soriano worked out of a ninth-inning jam to preserve the win.
Game Notes
Smoltz improved to 14-6 lifetime against the Marlins...Francoeur reached 100 RBI for the second year in a row...Florida's Dan Uggla was drilled in the helmet by Soriano in the ninth inning, but tossed his bat and went to first as both benches were warned...Kim had his personal three-game winning streak snapped.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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