Braves complete 6-0 road trip

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Washington — The Braves’ improbable, invigorating, intoxicating run back into postseason contention reached a new crescendo Sunday, when they manufactured the winning run in the 10th inning without hitting a ball past the pitcher’s mound.

Brian McCann’s bases-loaded dribbler drove in the go-ahead run in a 6-3 win against Washington, completing a perfect six-game road trip, stretching the Braves’ tear to 14 wins in 16 games and keeping the pressure on wild-card leader Colorado.

“I was telling the guys, when you’ve been around 15 years, you learn where the soft spots in the defense are,” joked Chipper Jones, whose slow-rolling infield single loaded the bases for McCann, after Nate McLouth drew a leadoff walk and Martin Prado was hit by a pitch.

“You go on a streak like this, you get a break sometimes,” manager Bobby Cox said. “I can remember earlier [in the season], when we were lining out every night and losing. It was frustrating.”

There has been scant frustration lately for the resurgent Braves, who remained within 2 1/2 games of the Rockies in the wild card standings. Colorado salvaged one win in its weekend series with St. Louis with a 4-3 victory Sunday. The Braves were 8 1/2 games behind Colorado on Sept. 9.

They are the hottest team in the league, but the Braves are also running out of time, with only seven games left, all at home this week against Florida starting Monday and then the reeling Nationals.

The Braves flew back to Atlanta after sweeping the New York Mets and Nationals to complete their first unbeaten trip of six or more games since June 2001. They also extended their road winning streak to 10 games, the fifth road streak of that duration in franchise history and first since 1994.

Mike Gonzalez (5-4) pumped his first after striking out Ryan Zimmerman to end the ninth inning. He was asked afterward if this was the most exciting time of his career.

“Of course,” he said. “Remember, I’m coming from Pittsburgh, bro. When I got traded, this was why I was so happy to come here, to have at least an opportunity. We’re in the mix, man. We feel like we can beat anybody right now.

“The chemistry is ridiculous right now. It hasn’t been like that before. Coming to the park now, we feel like we’re going to win.”

Jones said that 10th-inning rally, which culminated with Omar Infante’s two-run single, was an example of how the Braves’ recent performance differed from earlier in the season.

“Guys are really focused right now,” Jones said. “They’re really intense, into every pitch, every play, every at-bat, hustling, doing the little things it takes to win ballgames. That’s something that really wasn’t going our way early in the season. Now we’re just riding that wave of momentum.

“We feel good about our chances. It’s right there for us. We know our margin for error is very small. We lose a game or two, we’re likely done. But right now, it seems like we do whatever it takes to get a win.”

The Braves have the NL’s best record (51-30) since June 28. But they have taken things to another level during the 14-2 run, which began after a 1-6 skid seemingly eliminated them from wild card contention by dropping them behind three other teams and nearly to double-digits behind Colorado.

“We’re on a pretty amazing little streak,” said Braves starter Derek Lowe, who gave up seven hits and three runs, all on solo homers, and left trailing 3-2 after six innings. “We’ve given ourselves a chance headed home, and that’s all you can ask. Guys are getting excited.

“We still need some things to unfold, but we’ve done everything we possibly can.”

Adam LaRoche tied the score with a seventh-inning double that brought home Yunel Escobar, who would’ve been out had he not alertly slid around the tag.

Peter Moylan pitched around a leadoff triple in the seventh and struck out four in two innings or relief, then Gonzalez worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to send the game to extra innings.