Injured Escobar out as Arizona series begins

PHOENIX —- The Braves thought they were getting Yunel Escobar back in their lineup Thursday night at Arizona, and they hoped the shortstop could stay healthy and energize an offense that looked moribund for three games at San Francisco.

No such luck.

Escobar was scratched an hour before Thursday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks, after feeling discomfort in his strained right hip flexor when he took batting practice and made pregame throws to first base at Bank One Ballpark.

Manager Bobby Cox said he’d penciled in Escobar on one lineup, but had a backup lineup without him in case the shortstop decided he wasn’t ready. Rookie Diory Hernandez made his sixth consecutive start in place of Escobar.

Escobar’s absence was particularly glaring during the Giants series. The Braves scored a total of five runs in three games at San Francisco, while hitting a paltry .165 and being swept by the Giants for the first time since 2003. They were just 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position.

Escobar’s .439 average (18-for-41) with runners in scoring position ranked fourth in the National League before Thursday.

Despite being scratched, Escobar said the injury felt better than it did Wednesday. The Braves think he will be ready at some point during the four-game Arizona series, possibly by today.

Chipper in lineup

Chipper Jones was back in the lineup Thursday, after going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts Wednesday —- the first four-strikeout game of his career —- while hobbling on a sprained right big toe in a 6-3 sweep-completing loss at San Francisco.

Three of his strikeouts were against 45-year-old lefty Randy Johnson, who pitched six innings of three-hit ball in his 299th win. Jones had six homers in 33 previous at-bats against Johnson.

“He just caught me at a good time,” said Jones, who missed four starts with severe bruising around his big toe and returned to the lineup only on Tuesday.

Jones buckled in pain on a third-strike check swing against Johnson the sixth inning, when the switch-hitter struck out with the potential tying run on base and the score 2-1. Jones said the sore toe prevented him from pushing off with his right foot batting right-handed.

“I’m all right left-handed,” Jones said before Thursday’s game against Arizona righty Dan Haren. “Right-handed, that’s something I’ll have to talk to Bobby about.”

Jurrjens touted

Before Thursday, there were 17 National League pitchers with more wins than Jair Jurrjens (4-2), including Braves teammate Derek Lowe.

Cox and Lowe, who was 6-2 before his Thursday night start against Arizona, said it would be wrong if Jurrjens were kept off the NL All-Star team because of his lack of wins.

Jurrjens takes a 2.07 ERA and 1.30 road ERA into his start today against Arizona.

“Wins are so non-indicative of how people pitch sometimes,” said Lowe, who has received an average of about three more support runs per nine innings pitched than Jurrjens (3.84). “He’s pitched way better than me,” Lowe said.