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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Andres Galarraga's thumb injury is old news. So is his July slump.
Galarraga had three hits and three RBI, capping a 6-for-12
series, as the Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4
Sunday night. It was Galarraga's sixth game back after he missed a week with
a sprained left thumb. He had only five RBI in July.
|  | | Rafael Furcal gets tangled up with Will Clark after throwing to first to complete a double play to end the sixth inning. |
"I had a great first half, but after the All-Star Game I've
kind of struggled a little bit," Galarraga said. "I'm glad to
start driving in some guys."
Galarraga had a two-run double in the first off Darryl Kile
(13-7) and an RBI single in the sixth. He also singled in the
eighth.
"Big Cat gets hot, he carries the team," teammate Brian Jordan
said. "We've got those players throughout the lineup."
The NL East-leading Braves have the majors' best record at 68-43
after taking two of three from the NL Central-leading Cardinals.
Atlanta is 33-12 against St. Louis since 1996.
"I don't know what the record is, all we're concerned about is
right now," reliever Mike Remlinger said. "We lost two of three
in Arizona, and this is a trip where we need to prove ourselves
against some of the better teams in the league."
The Cardinals picked up a game on the Reds, who they lead by six
games, in the series.
Andruw Jones' groundout off Mike Timlin snapped a seventh-inning
tie, and Javy Lopez added a run-scoring single in the eighth off
Timlin.
Will Clark homered for the fourth consecutive start since
joining the Cardinals at the trading deadline and also had two
singles, one scoring a run in the sixth. Clark, who's playing first
base while Mark McGwire is out with a knee injury, is 9-for-14 with
seven RBI.
"You can search for excuses, you can search for answers,
whatever it might be," Clark said. "But I'm glad it's now. That's
all I can say."
Manager Tony La Russa took exception to a reporter who asked if
Clark's start with the Cardinals was astonishing.
"If you've watched this guy his whole career, what's
astonishing about him?" La Russa said. "This guy's an
outstanding, winning player."
Kile, who was 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA his previous three starts,
lasted 6 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits to fall to
5-11 for his career against Atlanta.
"I made some mistakes, and they hit the ball hard," Kile said.
B.J. Surhoff, who was in a 1-for-16 slump, singled Galarraga
home to put the Braves ahead 3-0 in the first.
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the bottom half, opening
with three hits off Kevin Millwood. Jim Edmonds had an RBI single
and a second run scored on a fielding error by Jordan in right on
the play.
Clark tied it when he hit a 2-2 pitch from Millwood over the
right-field wall leading off the fourth. He also homered in four
straight games Aug. 5-9, 1987, for the San Francisco Giants.
Clark got a standing ovation from a sellout crowd of 47,623 and
then made his second curtain call in three games at Busch Stadium.
The Braves regained the lead on Jordan's double and a single by
Galarraga in the sixth, but the Cardinals tied it again on Clark's
RBI single off Remlinger.
Remlinger (3-2) struck out Ray Lankford and got Fernando Tatis
to ground out into a double play with runners on first and second
to end the sixth.
Braves reliever John Rocker entered with one on and one out in
the eighth to resounding boos. He retired two of the three batters
he faced.
Kerry Ligtenberg, the Braves' fifth pitcher, worked the ninth
for his 10th save in 11 chances.
Millwood lasted five-plus innings, allowing four runs on five
hits.
Game notes
Cardinals closer Dave Veres, who pitched the ninth, made
only his third appearance since July 22. He has no saves, with only
one opportunity, since the All-Star break. ... St. Louis has
outscored opponents 113-64 in the first inning. ... Braves rookie
INF Rafael Furcal has 25 steals, breaking the record of 23 by a
19-year-old set by Ty Cobb in 1906, but was caught for the seventh
time in 32 attempts by Mike Matheny in the fifth. Matheny has
caught 29 of 54 runners. ... Steve Sisco flied out in the seventh,
making him 1-for-12 as a pinch-hitter and 3-for-22 overall for the
Braves. ... Atlanta 3B Chipper Jones was 0-for-5 Sunday and
0-for-10 in the series.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
Time off gives Mac intro to coaching
RECAPS
Kansas City 3
Boston 1
Cleveland 5
Anaheim 2
Minnesota 7
Detroit 3
Seattle 11
NY Yankees 1
Texas 11
Toronto 6
Tampa Bay 7
Baltimore 4
Chi. White Sox 13
Oakland 0
Florida 9
Cincinnati 6
Philadelphia 10
Colorado 9
Houston 8
Montreal 1
San Francisco 7
Pittsburgh 1
Arizona 9
NY Mets 5
San Diego 8
Chicago Cubs 6
Atlanta 6
St. Louis 4
Milwaukee 9
Los Angeles 6
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