Braves fail to capitalize in 4-2 loss to White Sox

CHICAGO – The Braves had plenty of scoring chances and cashed in almost none.  Carlos Quentin and the resurgent White Sox had few opportunities but made the most of them.

That was the story Wednesday night in Chicago, where Quentin hit two home runs off Tim Hudson in a 4-2 White Sox win at U.S. Cellular Field, giving the Braves their first series loss in six weeks.

"It's a team that got some breaks, a team that, you know, had a little luck on their side tonight," Hudson said of the White Sox, who've won eight in a row and 12 of 13. "Teams that are hot might have that sometimes. But I felt like we should have won."

Hudson (7-3) faced the minimum three batters in five of the first six innings, but nonetheless trailed 3-2 before Quentin led off the seventh with his second homer of the night.

After a 1-hour, 49-minute rain delay before the first inning, the White Sox become the first team to beat Atlanta in consecutive games in nearly two months, since the St. Louis Cardinals swept a four-game series April 26-29 at the end of a nine-game Braves losing skid. They are 34-16 since then.

"Well, you're not going to win all the series," said manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves had their streak of 13 series without a loss snapped by the White Sox. "We need to win at least one [game]."

They had won 10 series and split three others, but the best the Braves can do against the White Sox is win Thursday to avoid being swept.

Their lead in the National League East was trimmed to a half-game over the sizzling New York Mets, who won again Wednesday. So did third-place Philadelphia, which is now 3-1/2 games behind the Braves.

The Braves send Derek Lowe (9-5) to the mound for Thursday's series finale against right-hander Gavin Floyd (2-7), after facing lefties in the first two games of the series.

Before Wednesday, the Braves had the NL's second-highest batting average against righties (.273) and its second-lowest average against lefties (.241).

They got nine hits in six innings against Mark Buehrle (6-6), but the lefty got outs when he needed them most.

"We just didn't get a bit hit tonight," catcher Brian McCann said. "We had a couple of times when we left some guys on. That happens when you face a guy like Buehrle. He knows how to pitch."

McCann served as designated hitter while David Ross did the catching Wednesday. Ross was hit in the hand by a foul tip early in the game, then played the rest of the game and had X-rays afterward.

There was no fracture, but Ross could be limited to pinch-hitting Thursday.

The Braves wasted a prime scoring opportunity in the sixth inning after loading the bases with one out against on a Chipper Jones single, McCann double and Yunel Escobar walk.

Melky Cabrera popped out to the second basemen and Omar Infante popped out foul to the first basemen. Inning over, and stage set for Quentin to blast a leadoff homer to the left-field seats for a 4-2 lead.

"Yeah, we left some guys on tonight," Cox said. "I mean, we hit the ball. I think we out-hit them. We swung the bats super tonight. You don't always get the RBIs every time, but we swung the bats great."

Quentin's two-run homer in the fourth capped a four-hit, three-run inning, with all four Sox hits coming with two outs. Hudson had been perfect until that inning, retiring the first 10 batters before walking Omar Vizquel.

Paul Konerko singled him in, then Quentin hit an opposite-field, line-drive homer that skipped off the top of the right-field fence.

Hudson was charged with a season-high four earned runs, six hits and three walks in seven innings, only the second time he allowed more than two runs in his past 11 starts.

"I thought Huddy was going to throw a shutout, the way he started,"  Cox said. "I really did. Quentin's ball to right field was a rocket; I thought it was a line-drive out or a double, and it went out. But he scalded that ball. And the other one was really hit… But [Hudson] had great stuff."

In that Braves' sixth, it appeared McCann's double to the center-field warning track might bring in the tying run. Jones hesitated momentarily before rounding second base, unsure whether the ball would be caught.

Then he was held up by third-base coach Brian Snitker.

In the fifth, the Braves failed to fully capitalize. After consecutive singles from Escobar and Cabrera to start the inning, both advanced on a sacrifice.

David Ross  hit a bloop single to drive in one run to cut the lead to 3-2. But with runners on the corners, Martin Prado struck out swinging at an eye-level pitch and Jason Heyward struck out to end the inning.

Hudson had been 0-2 with a career-high 13.17 ERA in three previous starts at U.S. Cellular Field, but hadn't pitched at the stadium since 2002. In he early innings Wednesday, it looked like he'd exorcise any ballpark demons.

"I felt pretty good," Hudson said. "I got in a little jam there in the fourth. Quentin's a strong guy. He hit a good pitch. Wind might have helped it a little bit, but he's a strong guy. They were up by one after that. And the second homer, man, I probably could have hit that one out of the park.