Ninth inning homer spoils Braves' comeback

By DAVID O'BRIEN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Miami — When it looked as if Garret Anderson had given the Braves a stirring come-from-behind win with his ninth-inning homer Tuesday night, the Marlins struck back against Rafael Soriano.

Ross Gload hit a two-run, game-ending homer off the Braves' closer with one out in the bottom of the ninth, lifting Florida to a 4-3 win in a series opener before a sparse crowd at Land Shark Stadium.

“It’s never over. I’ve played too long to think it’s over,” said Anderson, who had put the Braves ahead 3-2 with his leadoff homer in the top of the inning. “It’s never over until the third out is made.”

Chipper Jones also homered for the Braves, but it wasn’t enough. Gload’s first-ever walkoff homer handed the Braves only their fourth loss in 12 games since the All-Star break and their seventh loss in their past 26 games.

It was the second homer of the season allowed by Soriano (1-2), who gave up one to the Mets’ Gary Sheffield on May 13 in his last blown save.

He converted 11 saves in 28 appearances since, but his streak ended as Gload handed him his second blown save in 16 chances.

Soriano refused to discuss anything about the game with reporters, the first time he has done that all season.

Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens and manager Bobby Cox said umpire Jerry Meals’ strike zone was inconsistent throughout the game, and Cox said Soriano should have gotten a called strike earlier in the count.

Gload homered on a 3-and-1 fastball over the middle, and Jurrjens said he was forced to “groove” some pitches — much as Soriano did on that decisive pitch. Soriano walked Cody Ross to start the inning.

“I made my pitches when I need to make them to get out of jams,” said Jurrjens, charged with two runs and seven hits. “I was lucky to get out with the score 2-2. ... When the umpire has a small strike zone, it makes you groove a pitch.

“It can cost you the game, and it did.”

The two runs against Jurrjens scored on Hanley Ramirez’s one-out double to the left-center warning track in the third, which Anderson had trouble picking up in the twilight. He and center fielder Nate McLouth got late jumps on the ball.

“I thought it was a fly ball,” Jurrjens said. “I didn’t think he hit it good enough for a double, but that’s not something I can control.”

Anderson’s ninth-inning homer off Leo Nunez — his second in five at-bats against the righty — put the Braves ahead 3-2. Anderson has hit .342 with five homers and 19 RBIs in his past 32 games, after hitting .258 with three homers and 19 RBIs in his first 45 games.

Braves pitchers recorded two potential run-saving strikeouts against National League batting leader Hanley Ramirez, who went down swinging against Jurrjens with a runner at third and one out in the fifth and whiffed against Mike Gonzalez to end the seventh with two Marlins on base and the score 2-all.

Jurrjens had been 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA in his past three starts before Tuesday, when he got no decision.

Gonzalez worked out of a jam after hitting John Baker with a pitch to start the seventh and giving up a one-out infield hit. He struck out Emilio Bonifacio and Ramirez back-to-back.

The Braves trailed 2-1 until Jones led off the sixth with a first-pitch homer to the right-field seats, his team-high 13th of the season and 421st of his career. He needs five to tie Billy Williams for 40th place all-time.

It was the fourth homer for Jones in his past nine games, after he had hit only one in 119 at-bats over his previous 31 games.

The Marlins bring out the best in Jones: He has hit .407 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs in 32 games against them since the beginning of the 2007 season, and his 16 homers at the stadium known over the years as Dolphin, Pro Player and Joe Robbie are his second-most at a road park, behind 19 at since-razed Shea Stadium.