Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 7, Marlins 4

Top of the Order: Chipper Jones celebrated his 36th birthday in style, raising his major-league leading average to .442 by going 3-for-3 with a homer, as the Braves built an early 6-1 lead that held up, leading to a split of the two-game set with the NL-East leaders.

The Good: One night after stranding 13 runners and going an abysmal 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position, the Braves wasted little time cashing in on scoring chances. Atlanta scored five times in the bottom of the first, including three hits with runners in scoring position during the outburst. Jones, who is absolutely killing the ball during his torrid first month, hit his seventh homer of the season in the second inning, staking Chuck James to a five-run lead and further strengthening Jones’ case for NL player-of-the-month honors. James was wild but effective enough to gut out five innings, picking up his second win. Jorge Campillo bounced back from Tuesday’s disastrous ninth inning with two scoreless innings of relief, and Manny Acosta shut the door from there, pitching around a pair of walks in a hitless two-inning stint for his second save. And bullpen help could be on the way, and soon: Mike Gonzalez pitched a perfect inning at extended spring training. Brian McCann added his first career triple in the eighth, crash-landing into third base with a belly flop that rattled windows within a 30-mile radius of Turner Field.

The Bad: James made it interesting – and not in a good way. Staked to the early lead, he slowly and painfully allowed Florida back in the game, walking five in five innings. Three of his five walks scored (doesn’t that almost always seem to happen?). After the game, the Braves shipped Chuckie back to Triple-A Richmond – maybe he’ll find a third pitch along the way from Atlanta to Virginia. Atlanta will promote a reliever to add a fresh arm to the bullpen heading into the weekend; a move will be announced today. Acosta did struggle with his control, walking two and throwing nearly as many balls (18) as strikes (19). But in fairness, it was his longest outing of the season.

View from the Sports Garage: After two frustrating losses, this is exactly what the Braves needed. Atlanta finishes the homestand 5-2, and don’t discount the difference between going 5-2 and 4-3. A loss Thursday, and all the momentum from the Braves’ five-game winning streak would’ve been totally lost. Thursday’s performance was made-to-order, especially with the Braves heading to New York this weekend for a three-game series with the Mets. The offensive showing in particular was encouraging, and look at the averages several of the Braves are sporting: Chipper is hitting .442, Yunel Escobar is at .310, McCann is hitting .286, Jeff Francoeur is at .292 and Matt Diaz – who drove in two more runs – stands at .308. There is no doubt this team is built to score runs, with so many solid hitters up and down the lineup. That fact makes games like Wednesday’s so hard to take, but the Braves’ response Thursday was just what the doctor ordered. On to New York … bring your pepper spray.

On deck
Braves at Mets
7:10 p.m. today, Shea Stadium, New York

The skinny: Throughout spring training and in his first month as a Brave, 22-year-old righty Jair Jurrjens has impressed with his command of the strike zone and his poise on the mound. He enters the bowels of you-know-where Friday night when he toes the slab at Shea against the Mets. But it’s doubtful the leatherlungs in Flushing will rattle Jurrjens, who pitches like he’s 32 and acts like he has been doing this for a decade. Jurrjens fanned eight in seven sparkling innings Sunday against the Dodgers, and a good performance Friday would go a long way to setting the tone for the big series against the Mets. Atlanta sits just one-half game behind the Metropolitans, who send Mike Pelfrey to the mound in the series opener.

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