DEL.ICIO.USGiants beat hard-luck rookie, Braves
Jurrjens can’t explain team’s struggles
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, August 15, 2008
When he faces the Braves, San Francisco Giants ace Matt Cain lets Jair Jurrjens wear the hard-luck label for a night.
For the second time in 11 days, Cain and Randy Winn did a number on the Braves and Jurrjens during a 5-1 series-opening victory for the Giants on Friday night at Turner Field.
Ben Gray/bgray@ajc.com
The Giants’ jumped ahead in the first inning and never looked back.
It was Braves’ fifth consecutive defeat, and Jurrjens (11-8) took the loss despite allowing only two runs and posting a career-high nine strikeouts with no walks in seven innings.
“Just one of those seasons — nobody can explain why we’re doing so badly,” said Jurrjens, who has lost three of his past four games, despite turning in a quality start in each.
“Every time I go out there I try to give the team a chance to win,” said Jurrjens, who was charged with four runs (three earned) in a 4-2 loss at San Francisco on Aug. 4. “Some days it works, some days it doesn’t.
“We’ll keep fighting until the season’s over.”
Jurrjens has a 2.52 ERA over his past 11 starts, and only a 5-5 record to show for it. The Braves scored one or no runs while he was in five of those games, and two runs in another.
“[Jurrjens] has been solid all year,” said center fielder Mark Kotsay, who was 2-for-4 with a double after going 5-for-5 and hitting for the cycle Thursday in an 11-7 loss to the Cubs. “We didn’t give him any offense. He did his job.”
Cain (8-9) allowed six hits and one run in seven innings, and Winn continued his role as Braves nemesis with a 4-for-4, two-RBI game that included a home run (off reliever Will Ohman), two doubles and a sacrifice fly.
Winn has a .372 career average in 33 games against the Braves that includes an astounding 12-for-16 in four games this season, including three Giants victories.
He has gone 4-for-4 in each of the past two against them and also had three hits in Cain’s Aug. 4 win against Jurrjens.
Despite the tough run lately, Jurrjens remained upbeat and said the Braves (55-67) have a goal to make it to .500. He was also excited about catching a charter flight to Williamsport, Pa., today to see his native Curacao play Mexico in the Little League World Series.
“It’s going to be awesome seeing my country play,” he said. “I’m gonna speak to the kids. I don’t know if they know I’m coming.”
Winn’s leadoff homer against Ohman in the eighth inning was the 100th of his career and gave the Giants a 3-1 lead. Ohman also gave up a single before he was lifted after facing two batters.
The Giants added another run in the inning when Jeff Bennett gave up singles to the first two batters he faced, including a Travis Ishikawa hit to left field that got past left fielder Gregor Blanco for an error.
“J.J. pitched a great game,” said manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves have lost 14 out of 20 games and have an 8-21 home record since June 6. “We just didn’t hold them tonight. They’re all overworked in the bullpen, simple as that.
“They’re doing everything they can.”
The Braves played without shortstop Yunel Escobar, who had a sore elbow after being hit by a pitch in Thursday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Omar Infante, who had been scorching hot lately, filled in for Escobar and struck out with two runners on to end the first inning.
The Braves had two on with one out in the third when Brian McCann flied out to right field and Blanco was doubled up off second base.
Kotsay hit a leadoff double in the sixth and scored on Chipper Jones’ RBI single to cut the Giants’ lead to 2-1, but McCann into a double play.
Cain has a 1.81 ERA in his past seven starts, and a 3-2 record. The Giants scored no runs while he was in three of those games, and one run in another.
