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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
PHOENIX (AP) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks didn't have a home-field
advantage.
Andruw Jones hit a two-run homer into the glove of a fan
reaching over the left-field fence and Brian Jordan also homered as
the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2
Tuesday night.
|  | | B.J. Surhoff, who was acquired from the Orioles on Monday, doubles in his first at-bat as a Brave in the second inning. |
"It's frustrating. I'm mad," said Luis Gonzalez, who was in
position to try to make the catch. "If it happens on the road you
can live with that. But when it happens at home, it makes it harder
to swallow. I don't think the fan realized how big an outcome there
was on that one particular play."
Arizona's seventh loss in 10 games dropped the Diamondbacks out
of at least a share of the NL West lead for the first time since April 5. San Francisco beat Milwaukee 13-8 to take a one-game
lead.
"We've had a lot of tough losses last year and this year but we
always have managed to respond to the adversity," Arizona manager
Buck Showalter said.
With one out in the eighth and the Braves down 2-0, Jones lifted
a fly ball to left field off Armando Reynoso. Luis Gonzalez tracked
the ball to the wall and leaped to make the catch. But the ball
landed in the glove of a fan reaching just over the fence, giving
Jones his 26th homer and allowing the Braves to tie it.
The man who caught Jones' homer was eventually moved to another
section of the stadium by security guards because he was being
hassled by other fans.
Gonzalez said he had "no doubt" he would have made the catch.
"The ball was in my glove but he stuck his glove in front of
mine and took it from me," Gonzalez said. "The last thing you
think about is a fan reaching out, especially at home. When you're
on the road, you know there's a fan out there who might be trying
to do something."
Chipper Jones singled off reliever Greg Swindell (2-4) and
Jordan hit a more conventional homer, his 14th, six rows into the
left-field stands off Johnny Ruffin to give the Braves a 4-2 lead.
"I knew it wasn't going to be as close for Gonzalez to catch
it," said Jordan, who had missed the past four games with ankle
and knee injuries.
Kevin Millwood (7-8), who retired the first 13 batters he faced
and faced the minimum through six innings, allowed two runs and two
hits in seven innings.
"It would have been kind of the way things have gone for him if
he had lost that game," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.
John Rocker walked two batters in the ninth before being
replaced by Mike Remlinger with one out. Remlinger got two outs for
his 10th save in 12 chances.
Reynoso was nearly as sharp as Millwood, allowing two runs and
six hits in 7 1/3 innings. He retired 12 straight hitters between
the fourth and seventh innings.
Steve Finley ended Millwood's no-hit bid with a bloop single in
the fifth, but was retired on a double play.
Millwood walked Jay Bell with one out in the seventh. Gonzalez
followed with a double to the wall in left-center field, scoring
Bell, and advanced to third on B.J. Surhoff's throw home. Gonzalez
scored on Matt Williams' sacrifice fly to give Arizona a 2-0 lead.
Reynoso, who was 0-8 in 14 appearances against Atlanta entering
the game, pitched out of trouble in the second inning.
Surhoff, acquired by the Braves from Baltimore on Monday, hit a
one-out double in his first NL at-bat and Reynoso hit Javy Lopez on
the hands. But Reynoso came back to strike out Keith Lockhart and
Millwood on called third strikes to end the threat.
Game notes
Surhoff extended his major league-leading consecutive games
streak to 428, with the help of Atlanta's off-day Monday. He
finished 1-for-4. ... Ruffin was making his first major league
appearance since Sept. 15, 1996. ... There were nearly 14,000 empty
seats for the first meeting between the division leaders. ... Wally
Joyner had a pinch single in the eighth for his 2,000th career hit.
... Arizona optioned 1B Erubiel Durazo to Triple-A Tucson of the
Pacific Coast League and recalled OF Jason Conti, who started in
right field. Durazo was 4-for-25 on the Diamondbacks' just
completed nine-game road trip. ... Conti took a probable double
away from Lopez in the seventh when he ran into center field and
backhanded a drive to the warning track on the dead run.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
Giants ride 13-run offense to first place in NL West
RECAPS
Oakland 3
Toronto 1
NY Yankees 5
Kansas City 4
Tampa Bay 6
Cleveland 5
Baltimore 10
Minnesota 0
Chi. White Sox 4
Texas 3
Detroit 6
Anaheim 3
Seattle 5
Boston 4
Colorado 2
Chicago Cubs 1
Pittsburgh 6
Los Angeles 0
Los Angeles 5
Pittsburgh 3
(2nd game)
Houston 4
Florida 3
Montreal 4
St. Louis 0
NY Mets 3
Cincinnati 2
San Francisco 13
Milwaukee 8
Atlanta 4
Arizona 2
San Diego 10
Philadelphia 9
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