Chipper's 12th-inning single beats Reds
“It’s always good to come through in the last at-bat," Jones said after the Braves' fourth walk-off win and and sixth extra-innings win.
His single off Carlos Fisher scored Jordan Schafer, who drew a walk from the right-hander to start the inning. Martin Prado followed with another walk to bring up Jones, who singled through the right side and was mobbed by teammates after rounding first base.
"He's clutch," McCann said of Jones, whose .400 average with runners in scoring position ranks among National League leaders. "He's got such a good idea what he wants to do at the plate. He's one of the last guys I'd want to face with the game on the line."
It was the Braves’ seventh extra-innings game in their past 16, and third consecutive extra-innings win. All seven of their recent extra-innings games lasted at least 11 innings.
"The two guys at the top set the table there in the last inning, putting good at-bats together," Jone said. "And one finally fell in, so it was nice to see on what was just a frustrating night -- after we jumped out to the big lead, give it up, fall behind, then get back tied. I thought we deserved to win tonight.”
After Braves starter Derek Lowe lasted just 3-1/3 innings and blew the five-run lead, five relievers combined for 8-1/3 innings of one-run ball, including two scoreless innings apiece from Jonny Venters and Scott Linebrink (1-1).
“I don’t even know where to start, to tell you the truth," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Other than the bullpen was outstanding. One run in eight innings, is that right? To only give up one run and cover that after D-Lowe went out. Wow. Glad we were on the winning end of that."
Lowe blew the lead in a three-batter span of the fourth inning, and it took McCann’s second homer to erase a Reds lead an inning later.
He gave up five runs in the fourth, and heard a mix of boos and cheers from a crowd of 36,615 as he walked off the field. Charged with five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings, Lowe understood the crowd reaction.
"That was bad," he said. “I talk about non-competitive pitches; that was non-competitive pitching. It was frustrating. It got to the point where you were just trying to throw strikes, and that’s never a good sign.
"I mean, I was terrible. But the bigger picture was, we found a way to win the game.”
Arroyo gave up five runs and nine innings and remained 0-3 with a 7.64 ERA in six May starts, with 46 hits and 10 homers allowed in 33 innings.
It was something less than a pitching clinic by Arroyo and Lowe.
The Reds loaded the bases in the first and third innings, but Lowe worked out of those jams unscathed. They loaded them again in the fourth on two singles and Lowe’s fifth walk. This time, there was no escape.
That was all for Lowe, who threw 84 pitches to get 10 outs. It was his briefest start since April 20, when he gave up five runs and nine hits in three innings of a loss at Dodger Stadium.
"I’m definitely doing something mechanically that I hope, with the last couple of hours [watching video], I was able to put my finger on it," said Lowe, who spent the rest of the game in the film room. "You can’t act like 10 walks isn’t a big issue, because it is. You really have to try to figure it out.
"I think this extra day [between starts] hopefully will help. You have to put in the extra effort and don’t act like it was just a couple of bad days. Because getting hit is one thing, but walks is a completely different issue.”
