Braves back on homer path in win
PITTSBURGH — The Atlanta Braves were winning even without homering. When they went deep twice in as many pitches after going without a homer for eight games, they had to know it would be a good night.
Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur homered in the sixth inning to help the Braves end their longest streak without a homer in 24 years, and manager Bobby Cox tied Sparky Anderson for fourth place in career victories with a 4-1 decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
The Braves went 72 innings without a homer until Jones hit a two-run drive over the center field wall following Chipper Jones’ double high off the wall in center, just a few feet below where Andruw Jones hit it out. Francoeur followed with a drive into the left-field seats for his sixth homer, the same number as Andruw Jones.
“I took us eight or nine days to hit a homer, but it counted huge,” Cox said.
The homer drought was the Braves’ longest since a 13-game streak in 1983, but didn’t hurt their record as they won their fourth in a row and fifth in six games.
Once again, the Braves put together a big inning with two outs. They lead the majors with 92 runs with two outs.
“It seems every night we start it with two outs, and I don’t know why,” Francoeur said. “It’s hard to explain, but it seems that when we get guys into scoring position with two outs, everybody tends to get locked in. And you want to ride it out.”
Two innings before the four-run sixth, Chipper Jones tumbled over third baseman Jose Bautista as Bautista fielded a grounder, causing Jones to land hard on both wrists, his left knee and thigh. Jones lay on third base for several minutes, in obvious discomfort, but stayed in the game.
The Pirates dropped their ninth in 13 games as Zach Duke (1-4) limited Atlanta to four hits and no runs until giving up about 1,200 feet worth of extra-base hits in a span of four pitches. After that, Brian McCann and Matt Diaz singled to chase Duke, and pinch-hitter Scott Thorman hit an RBI double off reliever Jonah Bayliss to make it 4-1.
“I thought I threw some pitches in decent spots,” Duke said. “Chipper hit a changeup down and Andruw Jones hit a sinker. You don’t see that very often.”
He could have been referring to Cox’s 2,194-1,698 record in 26 seasons with the Braves and Blue Jays. Cox got his 2,194th victory in his 3,895th game, counting three ties, while Anderson — the former Reds and Tigers manager — needed 4,030 games. The leader is Connie Mack (3,731), who managed for a record 53 seasons.
“I’m proud to be in his (Anderson’s) class, I don’t belong in it but I’ll take it,” Cox said.
Kyle Davies (1-1) limited the Pirates to one run and seven hits over seven innings, even though the Pirates stayed with the mixed-up batting order manager Jim Tracy used Thursday in beating the Cubs 6-4.
NL batting champion Freddy Sanchez led off again, Jason Bay hit third and Jack Wilson dropped to eighth, but the mixed-up order produced only a sacrifice fly in the fourth by former Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche. The Pirates sent reliever Mike Gonzalez to Atlanta for LaRoche during the offseason.
