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San Francisco at Atlanta

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Braves' Lopez, Jones homer to cool off Giants
 

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ATLANTA -- Javy Lopez is hoping that his swing is finally back.

Lopez hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat San Francisco 6-3 Saturday night, snapping the Giants' six-game winning streak.

Chipper Jones hit a game-tying homer earlier in the seventh and drove in three runs to lead Atlanta to its 20th win in 24 games.

After Vinny Castilla singled off Joe Nathan (4-1), Lopez hit the next pitch 413 feet over the center field wall to make it 4-2.

"Hitting the way I've been hitting lately, tonight has to help my confidence," said Lopez, who went 2-for-3 to lift his average to .242 with five homers and 11 RBI.

He had been in a 4-for-24 slump entering the game.

"My confidence is there. It's just been a matter of finding the holes once in a while," he said. "It's a big step for me. Maybe now I'll start hitting like I can. Be more aggressive, be more selective and stop swinging at bad pitches.

Nathan entered the game with an 0.34 ERA. He had given up only one run and 11 hits in 23 1/3 innings and right-handed hitters were hitting only .109 against him until the seventh.

"I made a mistake to Lopez. It was a fastball up. I was trying to go away and left it up in the zone," said Nathan, whose ERA rose to 1.50.

Jones, who went 3-for-4, also had an RBI single in the first off Kirk Rueter and a run-scoring double in the eighth. Andruw Jones added an RBI single in the eighth.

"I got some pitches to hit, some good swings and they fell in," Chipper Jones said. "Home runs kind of come in bunches for me. I'll try to ride the wave as long as I can, but it was a good, positive night for everybody."

John Smoltz pitched the ninth as the Braves won for the 68th straight time in a game he pitched in, extending a major league record. Smoltz allowed an RBI double to Rich Aurilia .

Former Brave Andres Galarraga hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning off Atlanta starter Horacio Ramirez to give the Giants a 2-1 lead.

Galarraga has started only six games, but has made the most of them. The 41-year-old, who went 2-for-4, is batting .478 (11-for-23) with three homers and 10 RBIs in those games.

Ramirez allowed two runs, six hits and six walks in 6 2/3 innings.

Kevin Gryboski (2-2) got the win when he retired Benito Santiago -- the only batter he faced -- on a grounder to second with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Santiago, who hit a three-run homer and knocked in four runs in Friday night's 9-2 win over the Braves, left nine men on base in his first four at-bats, including leaving the bases-loaded in the third and seventh.

Barry Bonds drew three walks, two intentional, in five trips to the plate.

Rueter allowed one run and five hits in six innings. The left-hander threw only 59 pitches, but left after running the bases in the seventh when he irritated his right knee which he injured earlier in the game covering first base. He's not expected to miss his next start.

Notes

  • Giants 2B Ray Durham left the game in the fifth inning after he injured his right ankle sliding into third base, trying to stretch a double into a triple. X-rays indicated a sprained ankle and he is day to day.
  • The crowd of 39,357 was the second largest of the season at Turner Field. The Braves drew 40,244 opening day against Montreal.


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2003, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
 
 
 

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Ray Durham, 2B3010000 .309
    Neifi Perez, 2B1110000 .224
Rich Aurilia, SS5021000 .268
Barry Bonds, LF2000300 .287
Jose Cruz Jr., RF3110220 .320
Benito Santiago, C4000010 .292
Andres Galarraga, 1B4122000 .378
Edgardo Alfonzo, 3B3000100 .210
    Ryan Jensen, P0000000 .400
Marquis Grissom, CF4000000 .237
Kirk Rueter, P3010010 .235
    Kurt Ainsworth, PR0000000 .071
    Joe Nathan, P0000000 .000
    Scott Eyre, P0000000 .000
    Pedro Feliz, 3B1000000 .222
Totals33383640 
Batting
2B - Ray Durham (7, Ramirez), Rich Aurilia (7, Smoltz), Jose Cruz Jr. (9, Ramirez)
HR - Andres Galarraga (3, Ramirez)
SH - Neifi Perez (5)
RBI - Rich Aurilia (12), Andres Galarraga 2 (13)
Team LOB - 10
Fielding
Outfield Assists - Barry Bonds 1
DP - Rueter-Aurilia-Galarraga
Kirk Rueter 6511030 2.87
Joe Nathan (BS,2; L,4-1) 0.2333012 1.50
Scott Eyre 0.1000000 4.26
Ryan Jensen 1322000 16.20
Pitches-Strikes - Kirk Rueter 59-40, Joe Nathan 21-17, Scott Eyre 1-1, Ryan Jensen 15-9
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Kirk Rueter 8-5, Joe Nathan 1-0, Scott Eyre 1-0, Ryan Jensen 2-1
Batters Faced - Kirk Rueter 21, Joe Nathan 5, Scott Eyre 1, Ryan Jensen 6
Rafael Furcal, SS4110000 .331
Marcus Giles, 2B3000010 .308
Gary Sheffield, RF4110000 .342
Chipper Jones, LF4233000 .310
Andruw Jones, CF4021000 .299
Julio Franco, 1B4010010 .316
Vinny Castilla, 3B3110010 .242
Javy Lopez, C3122000 .242
Horacio Ramirez, P2000010 .067
    Kevin Gryboski, P0000000 .000
   a- Darren Bragg, PH1000000 .132
    Roberto Hernandez, P0000000 .000
    John Smoltz, P0000000 .000
Totals326116040 
a-grounded out for Gryboski in the 7th
Batting
2B - Gary Sheffield (11, Rueter), Chipper Jones (12, Jensen)
HR - Chipper Jones (6, Nathan), Javy Lopez (5, Nathan)
SH - Marcus Giles (6)
RBI - Chipper Jones 3 (25), Andruw Jones (36), Javy Lopez 2 (11)
2-OUT RBI - Chipper Jones 2 (11), Andruw Jones (11), Javy Lopez 2 (6)
Team LOB - 3
Fielding
Outfield Assists - Andruw Jones 1
DP - Castilla-Giles-Franco
E - Rafael Furcal (8, Wild throw(E6))
Horacio Ramirez 6.2622631 3.77
Kevin Gryboski (W,2-2) 0.1000000 7.07
Roberto Hernandez (H,10) 1000000 3.10
John Smoltz 1211010 1.29
IBB - Bonds by Horacio Ramirez, by Bonds
WP - Horacio Ramirez (2)
Pitches-Strikes - Horacio Ramirez 112-67, Kevin Gryboski 4-3, Roberto Hernandez 6-4, John Smoltz 16-13
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Horacio Ramirez 8-8, Kevin Gryboski 1-0, Roberto Hernandez 1-2, John Smoltz 2-0
Batters Faced - Horacio Ramirez 31, Kevin Gryboski 1, Roberto Hernandez 3, John Smoltz 5
Attendance - 39357
Game Time - 2:40
Temperature - 82
Umpires - Home - Tim Tschida, First Base - Jeff Nelson, Second Base - Dan Iassogna, Third Base - Alfonso Marquez
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