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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) -- Greg Maddux has no idea why he dominates the San
Francisco Giants in Atlanta. He's just glad he does.
|  | | John Rocker delivers in the top of the ninth -- which was a perfect inning for the Braves' closer. |
Maddux pitched the Braves to their sixth straight victory,
beating the Giants 3-2 Thursday and sending them to their sixth
loss in a row.
Asked about improving to 10-0 in 10 starts against the Giants in
Atlanta, Maddux (5-1) professed he had no clue.
He also insisted he didn't know the Braves, who won 15 straight
earlier this season, were in the midst of another winning streak
and owners of the best record in baseball at 28-12.
"Oh, are we?" he said. "Good. Good for us."
In going seven innings, Maddux won for the first time since
April 28, a span of three starts that included a loss and two
no-decisions.
"I had to fight my control a little bit, but you try to hang
around long enough to make something happen," Maddux said of his
six-hit effort. "Our bullpen's been outstanding. They've been
doing a great job."
After Mike Remlinger improved his scoreless innings stretch to
18 in the eighth, John Rocker pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th
save in 11 opportunities.
Rocker was pleased with his performance after surrendering nine
hits, six earned runs, five walks in his previous 3 1-3 innings.
"I even got ahead for a change. It's a lot easier to pitch 0-2
and 1-2 than it is to pitch 2-0," he said.
The Braves led 3-2 when Bobby Estalella led off the Giants
seventh by reaching on shortstop Rafael Furcal's two-base throwing
error. Estalella stole third while pitcher Livan Hernandez, called
on to pinch-hit because of San Francisco's depleted bench, struck
out.
Maddux then got Bill Mueller to fly out to shallow center field
and retired Marvin Benard on a comebacker.
"His reputation speaks for itself," said Giants starter Shawn
Estes (2-2). "He bears down. He knows what he wants to throw. He's
a control pitcher, and I'm not. Walks kill me. Every time I walk a
guy, he comes around to score."
Giants star Barry Bonds was back in the Bay Area getting
treatment on his ailing back. Third baseman Russ Davis missed his
second straight game while attending to personal matters and Ellis
Burks is on the disabled list with an injured quadriceps.
The Braves scored two runs on Maddux's bases-loaded grounder in
the sixth. The Giants turned a double play, throwing out Maddux at
first and getting Javy Lopez in the rundown, but Trenidad Hubbard
scored from third and the speedy Furcal raced home from second.
"We fell apart in the sixth," Estes said. "Everybody saw it.
I take full responsibility."
Giants manager Dusty Baker believed the game turned on Furcal's
speed. "He's more than fast," Baker said. "In two steps, he's full
speed. That makes him different form someone who's just fast. His
speed cost us at least one run in every game."
Estes nearly worked out of trouble in the fifth with runners on
first and second and no outs. But after he and Estalella engineered
a strikeout-caught stealing double play, Estes gave up a bloop
single RBI to Andres Galarraga for the Braves' first run.
Jeff Kent, who entered with a .186 career average against
Maddux, hit a solo home run in the first. Kent's 12th home run gave
him seven hits in his first 10 at-bats in the series.
Mueller, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games, batted
leadoff for the first time in his five-year career. He singled in
the third and later scored on Benard's double.
Notes: onds is expected to rejoin the team Friday in Milwaukee.
... After getting hit by a pitch in the seventh, Galarraga moved to
second on Brian Jordan's single and to third on Hubbard's sacrifice
bunt. He tried to score on Furcal's shallow fly ball to
left-center, but was out in a collision with Estalella. Galarraga
said afterward he was not trying to exact revenge for getting hit
for the seventh time this season.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
San Francisco Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
Giants surprised Bonds bouncing back so quickly
RECAPS
Detroit 0
Cleveland 0
Texas 8
Baltimore 7
Minnesota 10
Oakland 5
Cincinnati 4
Pittsburgh 3
Houston 0
Milwaukee 0
Atlanta 3
San Francisco 2
Los Angeles 0
Chicago Cubs 0
San Diego 6
Florida 2
Arizona 8
Montreal 6
St. Louis 7
Philadelphia 2
Colorado 0
NY Mets 0
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