SAN DIEGO – Braves backup catcher David Ross sang an Eddie Money ‘80s hit "Shakin'" as a good-luck ritual during a series sweep at San Francisco last weekend. On Tuesday, he and the Braves sh-sh-shook San Diego and Padres pitcher Aaron Harang.
Ross hit two homers to drive in four runs during the Braves’ 8-2 win against the Padres at Petco Park, where Jair Jurrjens pitched the first complete-game win for the Braves since 2009 and Chipper Jones matched a switch-hitting mark by the great Mickey Mantle.
"We didn’t play a real sharp game last night," Jones said of the Braves' 13-inning, 5-3 loss in Monday's series opener. "But we bounced back tonight and set the tone early, and just kept wailing away.”
Jones staked the Braves to a lead with his two-run homer in the first inning, and Jurrjens (2-0) allowed nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts for his first complete game and the Braves’ first complete-game win since Javier Vazquez had two in September 2009.
“The whole thing started with Chipper’s home run," Ross said of Jones' belt to center, which gave him 1,509 RBIs to match Mantle for second among switch-hitters. "That big home run to the big part of the field. After a long game [Monday] where we were scrapping for runs, that home run put us on the board and really helped us out a lot.”
It was the 10th multi-homer game and first since 2009 for Ross, whose two homers – a solo blast in the second inning and three-run shot in the sixth – equaled his 2010 total and gave him three homers in nine at-bats against his former Cincinnati Reds batterymate Harang (4-1). He caught 33 of Harang’s starts in three seasons through 2008.
"I think you kind of know their tendencies a little more than other guys," Ross said of facing pitchers he's caught. "And being a catcher, you know that guys will go to their strengths when they’re behind in the count or whatever, and if I know what that strength is… I think he was trying to go down and away and it was up. He didn’t make the pitch, both times. But he’s got good stuff. I’m fortunate to be able to get a couple off him."
Two days after his 39th birthday and one day after hitting his 500th double, Jones’ 439th homer moved him even with Mickey Mantle, behind only Eddie Murray (1,917) on the switch-hitters' RBI list. He homered after Jason Heyward’s one-out walk in the first inning.
“It always feels good tying Mick," Jones said of the late Yankees icon, a favorite of Jones' father. "I just finally ran into one. Got into a predictable count [1-0] and got us off on the right foot.”
On a night when the Braves needed to rest their weary bullpen, Jurrjens made it happen by throwing 81 strikes in 114 pitches and giving up only single runs in the fourth and ninth innings.
“I was thinking about [possibly throwing a complete game], but I didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on myself," he said of his approach to facing the league's worst-hitting team. "I just wanted to come in and try to eat some innings. I knew the bullpen needed some rest after playing extra-inning games in LA. and yesterday.”
Ross said: “It was a credit to him to save our bullpen today, but his stuff wasn’t as sharp as he normally is, for him. He gave up a lot of hits, but just pitched his tail off when those guys got on base.”
Jurrjens threw just 45 pitches (36 strikes) in the first five innings, then 20 in the sixth after the Braves' five-run long at-bat in the top of the inning.
“I didn’t want to go out there and think about having a big lead," Jurrjens said. "I think I tried to be a little too perfect and threw a few too much pitches. Ross came out and talked to me and I got back in the mindset of being aggressive and throwing strikes again. That helped me a lot.
“He’s been catching all my games so far, and we’ve been on the same page. It makes it easy when you and your catcher have the same gameplan."
It was the fourth win in five games for the Braves, who moved to 5-4 on a 10-game trip that ends Wednesday. They lost three of four against the Dodgers to start the trip, then swept three from the San Francisco Giants.
“Yeah, and I think any East Coast team will take [a 6-4 trip]," Jones said. "When you come out here, anything at .500 or over .500 is a good trip, because it’s a tough swing to make.”
For Jurrjens, his first complete game came at the scene of his worst start on April 12, 2010, when he gave up eight runs and eight hits in 3-1/3 innings in his only previous game at Petco Park. That was between stints on the disabled list for Jurrjens in an injury-plagued season in which he made only 20 starts.
Tim Hudson threw an eight-inning complete game in a road loss in 2009, but the Braves hadn't had a nine-inning CG since Vazquez did it at Washington on Sept. 25, 2009. The closest they'd come since was Hudson's 8-2/3-inning stint Saturday at San Francisco, when Craig Kimbrel got the final out in a 5-2 win.
Jurrjens said after struggling through an injury-plagued 2010 and opening this season on the DL with a strained oblique, he appreciates being healthy and pitching well again.
“I’m just having fun," said the right-hander, who has a 1.23 ERA in three starts. "I think by missing [time] last year, being able to play again, I’m like a little kid out there. Just trying to have fun and throw strikes.”
Harang (4-1) had allowed only five earned runs and no homers in 24 innings before getting rocked for eight runs, seven hits, three homers and three walks in six innings. His ERA more than doubled, from 1.88 to 3.90.
Leading 3-1 after five innings, the Braves blew the game open with five runs in the sixth on three hits and two walks, off Harang, including Alex Gonzalez’s bases-loaded single with none out.
"That was big," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We were patient that inning and got him in trouble. We made him throw strikes, and we were able to put up a big number, a 5-spot."
One out after Gonzalez's single, Ross homered on a full-count pitch with two on to push the lead to 8-1.
Ross’ second-inning solo homer was a tape-measure shot that sailed into the second seating deck in left field.
"He hit my mistakes in a situation where he flourishes," Harang said. "He can hit pitches up in the zone better than anything. On the first homer he got a fastball up on a 2-and-0 count when I meant to come in with a strike, and the pitch is elevated. The last at-bat was a high changeup.”
Since his last two-homer game at Baltimore on June 16, 2009, Ross had hit .271 with a robust .371 on-base percentage in 192 at-bats, but with four homers. He hit half that many in one night Tuesday while starting in place of All-Star Brian McCann, who played all 13 innings Monday.
“Brian McCann didn’t have to come into the game today, and I’m very happy about that," Ross said, smiling. "The only game he hasn’t had to come in [before today] was the second game of the doubleheader [against the Mets]. For me, that’s my ultimate goal – when I get in there I want to win and give him the day off, too."
Right about then, Jones walked past Ross' locker as the catcher was being interviewed. Jones began singing "Shakin'" the song that Ross has belted out at random moments in the clubhouse at San Francisco. As soon as he heard the 39-year-old third baseman sing a few off-key notes, Ross smiled and joined in with, "and she was shakin'..."
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