Jurrjens gets just enough runs

“One of those nights where you don’t have your fastball and you have to pitch, not be a thrower,” said Jurrjens (13-10), who had more walks (three) than strikeouts (two) for the first time in more than two months.

The Braves got a scare when catcher Brian McCann left in the fourth with a right-hand injury after getting hit by a foul tip. X-rays were negative and a bone bruise was diagnosed. He’s questionable for Wednesday’s series finale.

Yunel Escobar’s two-run, two-out single in the fourth was enough support for Jurrjens, who’s 3-0 with an 0.82 ERA in his past three starts.

“He’s a tough, tough competitor — a lot like some of the guys in the past that came through here,” said manager Bobby Cox, bestowing high praise on the Curacao kid by comparing him to Braves pitching icons of the past two decades.

The win moved the Braves past Florida into third in the wild-card standings, still 4-1/2 games behind Colorado and a half-game behind San Francisco before the conclusion of late games Tuesday that involved the Rockies and Giants.

The Braves have won 12 of 17 against the Mets, and Jurrjens is 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA in five starts against them this season. He worked out of a jam in the seventh with runners at second and third and one out, inducing a foul pop by Fernando Tatis and flyout by Cory Sullivan.

“The comments I hear from the opposing team about J.J.,” third baseman Chipper Jones said, “are, ‘This guy is incredibly poised. He knows how to pitch. He’s able to pitch with three pitches, has enough power to blow you away, and enough finesse to keep you off-balance.’

“Those are things you like to hear about pitchers on your staff. ... He’s had some bad luck, or he’d be in the running for the Cy Young.”

Jurrjens finished his 2008 rookie season with the same record (13-10) he has now, but with a 3.68 ERA — nearly a run higher than his current 2.70, the fourth-lowest among National League starters.

He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 24 of 32 starts. Jurrjens is 8-8 in his past 21 starts, and the Braves scored two runs or fewer while he was in 12 of 13 non-wins in that period.

He didn’t get a win in half of his 16 quality starts in that stretch.

After Adam LaRoche’s ninth-inning single drove in Escobar for a 3-1 lead, Rafael Soriano recorded his 25th save.