The Braves were shut out in Nate McLouth's first two games in Atlanta. Not a good sign for the center fielder the Braves traded for to give their offense a boost.
Sunday's win over Milwaukee helped.
The Braves broke out for eight runs and McLouth was right in the middle of the three-run eighth-inning rally that won it 8-7. McLouth drove in the tying run on a double to left center and scored the winning run on Yunel Escobar's single to left.
McLouth went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. If he was pressing in the first two games, he was over that on Sunday.
"I think today's win kind of did a lot to erase those feelings and made me feel part of this club," he said.
McLouth went 1-for-7 in his first two games, with an additional hit erased by an Escobar baserunning mistake Saturday night.
He batted third in the first two games, but manager Bobby Cox moved him to the leadoff spot on Sunday. He's done plenty of both. McLouth had hit third most of this year in Pittsburgh and hit leadoff last year for the Pirates.
"The first day I got here [Cox] said he was going to try me in two different spots," McLouth said. "They are both spots I've hit in for extended periods of time. I've got pretty big comfort level at both spots."
The uncomfortable part might be over the next four days. His former team is coming in to start a four-game series on Monday. McLouth's trade has created quite a stir among Pirates fans and players, and GM Neal Huntington sent a letter to season ticket holders trying to smooth the waters.
McLouth said he's just trying to focus on his new team. He doesn't take the trade personally.
"When you make a trade, both teams think they're upgrading their clubs, and I'm sure that's the feeling when they got the prospects in return," said McLouth who was traded from the organization that drafted him for Braves prospects Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez. "I would never take something like that personally."
He does admit it'll be awkward at first to face his longtime teammates.
"It'll be a little strange, but once the game starts, the focus will be on the game," he said.
Chipper's hits a mark
With his two-homer, five-RBI game Sunday, Chipper Jones collected the 39th multi-home run game of his career and matched his career-high in RBIs which he has done 16 times. He also passed the 1,400 career-RBI mark and now has 1,402.
Hanson's first major league strikeout came against Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, who swung through a 95 mph fastball. It was the first of three strikeouts by Hanson in the second inning, who retired the side in order.
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