Braves thump Mets

By DAVID O'BRIEN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

New York — Oh, sure, now the Braves blast away for 11 runs in the first three innings.

After mustering six runs combined in a pair of costly home losses to Philadelphia over the weekend, the Braves jumped all over the sputtering New York Mets in an 11-3 win Monday night at Citi Field.

Garret Anderson, Chipper Jones and Matt Diaz belted home runs in the first two innings, and Martin Prado had a two-run double in the third to give Derek Lowe an 11-1 lead en route to his 15th win.

“As long as we keep winning and putting pressure on the other teams, that’s all you can do,” Lowe said after the Braves picked up their ninth win in 11 games.

Lowe (15-9) gave up three runs and six hits in five innings and Kenshin Kawakami pitched four scoreless innings of one-hit ball for his first major league save.

The Braves tied Florida for third in the National League wild-card standings and gained a half-game on Colorado. But time is running out on the Braves’ playoff aspirations.

Colorado was idle Monday and the Braves and Marlins trail the Rockies by five games with only 12 to play. They also were a half-game behind San Francisco before the Giants’ late game Monday.

To make the playoffs, the Braves just about need to run the table and hope Colorado loses more than it wins.Their chances are looking like slim and none, with slim lingering over by the door.

But Monday, they played like they still believe it’s worth a fight. They ambushed the Mets with a four-run first inning, capped by Anderson’s two-run, then threw up a four-run second inning and a three-run third.

“To put something like that on a pitcher in the first inning can be rough,” Anderson said.

The Braves pounded out eight runs on seven hits and three homers against Mets starter Pat Misch, who was replaced after recording four outs.

Anderson’s two-out homer sailed to the right-field second deck. Diaz led off the second with a homer and Jones hit a towering three-run shot that sent Misch to the showers.

“It’s good to contribute the last couple games,” said Jones, who had a double Sunday and two hits and four RBIs Monday, giving him as many extra-base hits (two) in two games as in his previous 31. He smiled and said, “Almost makes the game fun again.”

Lowe (15-9) had no walks and five strikeouts and was pulled as a precaution with what looked like a paper cut on his right thumb. He did it when a fingernail raked it throwing a third-inning curveball.

The veteran left a Tuesday start against New York after two innings with a blister on his right ring finger, which caused no problems Monday.

“As long as we’re breathing in this [playoff race], we want him to make his next start,” Cox said of the decision to get him out.

Kawakami notched the first four-inning save by a Brave since Mark Grant in 1990 at San Francisco. Kawakami, a 34-year-old major league rookie starter, last recorded a save in 1999 for his longtime Japanese team, Chunichi.