Braves break out with 16 hits in 13-1 rout of Dodgers

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After wasting several superb pitching performances and countless scoring opportunities in recent weeks, the Braves exploited both Sunday and enjoyed a summer rarity --  a winning rout.

They got seven strong innings from Jair Jurrjens and four RBIs apiece from Alex Gonzalez and Troy Glaus during a 13-1 shellacking of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Turner Field.

"Up and down the board we had good at-bats, and drove in some keys runs early that kind of set the tone," said Glaus, who hit his second homer in five games after hitting only one in his previous 39 games.

Before the game, injured Braves third baseman Chipper Jones predicted the Braves would have to win a lot of close games this season and wouldn't have any 10-1 blowouts.

"He was right – we beat ‘em 13-1," cracked manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves had a 2-1/2-game lead over second-place Philadelphia in the National League East, pending the outcome of the Phillies late game against the New York Mets.

The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the four-game series andimproved the majors' best home record to 41-16. They haven't lost a home series since April 22.

Jurrjens (5-4) allowed six hits, one run and one walk with seven strikeouts against the Dodgers, who've scored just three runs in three games. The Braves whittled their league-leading August ERA to 1.98, nearly a run better than the next-best.

"Every game right now is really big for us," said Jurrjens, part of a pitching staff that hasn't allowed a homer in 56 innings. "As starters we take it personal and try to go out there and give this team the best we can every day."

The series ends Monday when Tommy Hanson faces Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley. Hanson has a 0.99 ERA in his past four starts, and only an 0-2 record to show for it because of low run support.

The Braves had hit  .208 in their past nine games and .218 in August – second-worst in the National League – before Sunday, when they pounded out 16 hits, equaling their season high.

"J.J. pitched great today and kept them at bay, and we were able to tack on a couple late," said Glaus, who hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning that put the Braves ahead 8-0.

Glaus' 16th homer chased Dodgers starter Vicenta Padilla (6-4) from the game. Padilla had a 1.81 ERA and .175 opponents' average in his past nine starts before Sunday, when he got rocked for a season-high eight runs and eight hits in 4-1/3 innings.

After going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the series, the Braves were 7-for-14 in those situations Sunday.

"We needed to come out here today and do what we did," Braves catcher Brian McCann said, "because we've been scuffling obviously of late. You lose Chipper Jones and that's only going to hurt you. So, yeah, it was big."

Before throwing up three four-run innings Sunday, the Braves had scored more than three runs in one inning only once in their past 19 games – Wednesday at Houston, when McCann hit a grand slam in a six-run 10th inning.

On Sunday, Braves hitters provided ample support behind another in a string of stellar pitching performances that helped offset the recent offensive malaise.

The only time a Braves starter has allowed more than two earned runs in a game in August was Monday at Houston, when Mike Minor was charged with three earned runs in his major league debut.

"We're just trying to have fun, trying to feed off each other," Jurrjens said. "Just go out there and help the team out. Everybody is trying to have a better game than each other. We really want to take this thing to the playoffs, and we're trying to do all we can to do it."