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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Even when the Atlanta Braves
couldn't get the ball out of the infield, they hurt the Tampa Bay
Devil Rays.
|  | | Andruw Jones had his third multihomer game of the season Sunday. |
Andruw Jones homered twice and Wally Joyner once Sunday. But the
defending NL champions remained unbeaten in the interleague series
by scoring twice without getting a solid hit in the ninth inning of
a 6-4 victory.
"We were a little lucky," manager Bobby Cox said after the
Braves loaded the bases on two walks and Javy Lopez's infield
single off Jim Mecir (7-2), who then watched Atlanta snap a 4-all
tie and add an insurance run on grounders to second.
Rafael Furcal drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice
when second baseman Miguel Cairo fielded his high chopper, but
couldn't get the ball to the plate in time for a force. Jones then
added his fourth RBI, also on a fielder's choice.
"I know how (Devil Rays manager) Larry (Rothschild) and Mecir
feel right now," said Cox, who served the third game of a
five-game suspension for bumping an umpire. "You pitch that good
and you give up two runs. You figure, 'How did I do that?' It
happens to all of us."
Scott Kamieniecki (1-0) pitched two perfect innings as the
Braves improved to 7-0 against Tampa Bay with their sixth win in
seven games overall.
Jones hit a two-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the
fifth. Both were off Esteban Yan, who allowed four runs on six
hits, struck out seven and walked two in seven innings.
It was the third multihomer game of the season for Jones, who
has homered twice in a game 10 times during his career. Joyner also
hit a solo shot off Yan leading off the fourth, his first since May
3.
Jones' second homer, giving him 25 this season, gave the Braves
a 4-0 lead Kevin Millwood couldn't keep.
Cairo began Tampa Bay's comeback with a run-scoring double in
the fifth. He trimmed the Devil Rays' deficit to 4-2 with a
sacrifice fly before Gerald Williams' fourth homer in five games
finished a three-run seventh.
"That is a game you should win," Rothschild said.
"You come back and you are at home, you have every chance. Jim
Mecir is in the game. It is a pretty good spot to be in. We just
didn't get things right ... The leadoff walk was obviously his
fault. But after that, I don't think a ball left the infield. There
is not much you can do about that."
Atlanta has played five games at Tropicana Field and has had a
player homer twice in each of them. Chipper Jones, Andres Galarraga
and Keith Lockhart did it while pacing a three-game sweep here in
1998.
Overall, the Braves have outscored the Devil Rays 49-21 in seven
meetings. They've outhomered them 14-3 and have 30 extra-base hits
to Tampa Bay's 14.
Tampa Bay hit Millwood hard at times, but never really got
anything going offensively until the seventh.
Millwood allowed a one-out double to Steve Cox in the first,
then didn't allow another hit until Ozzie Guillen doubled with one
out in the fifth. Cairo followed with his RBI double, but Williams
struck out and Cox flied to right to strand him at second.
Cairo's sacrifice fly trimmed Atlanta's lead to 4-2 before
Williams chased Millwood with his 12th homer, a two-run shot off
the left-field foul pole. The right-hander, who's won just two of
10 decisions since beginning the season 3-0, allowed five hits -- all for extra bases -- struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3
innings.
"Poor Millwood. I feel bad," Cox said. "He made two bad
pitches that one inning, I guess. But all day long, he probably
didn't make two leading up to that."
Game notes
Yan has allowed 23 homers, one shy of the Devil Rays'
record set last year by Rolando Arrojo and Bobby Witt. ...
Galarraga made his first start at designated hitter for Atlanta.
... With Qulivio Veras out because of a season-ending knee injury,
Furcal batted leadoff and made his fifth start at second base. ...
Guillen, released by the Braves during spring training, was Tampa
Bay's starting shortstop for just the second time since May 25 ...
The crowd of 41,066 was the second largest of the season at
Tropicana Field.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 5
Montreal 2
Houston 5
Cleveland 1
Detroit 6
Cincinnati 2
NY Yankees 9
Philadelphia 8
Toronto 7
NY Mets 3
Atlanta 6
Tampa Bay 4
Baltimore 9
Florida 5
Chi. White Sox 11
Milwaukee 5
Minnesota 5
St. Louis 2
San Francisco 6
Texas 4
Seattle 6
Arizona 3
San Diego 6
Anaheim 5
Oakland 0
Colorado 0
Chicago Cubs 10
Kansas City 7
Los Angeles 7
Pittsburgh 3
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