ATLANTA - Replacement starter Travis Smith pitched five solid innings, Andruw Jones homered again and the Atlanta Braves buried Philadelphia a little deeper in the NL East, beating the Phillies 3-1 on Monday.
Smith (1-3), who has spent most of the season at Triple-A, got the start when Mike Hampton couldn't go because of a stiff neck. The 31-year-old journeyman allowed five hits and a run before giving way to the bullpen.
Jones had two RBIs and knocked a potential Phillies run off the board by throwing out a runner at the plate.
Four relievers finished up for the Braves, who won for the 12th time in 14 games. John Smoltz pitched 1 2-3 innings for his 36th save.
The Phillies, expected to threaten Atlanta's streak of 12 straight division titles, instead dropped 13.5 games behind in the NL East. They have only 25 games remaining and virtually no chance of catching the Braves.
Jones homered for the fourth time in six games, his solo shot in the second giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The Braves added two more runs in the third off Eric Milton (13-4), despite getting just one ball out of the infield.
Milton walked the first two hitters, then Eli Marrero singled to right to load the bases. Julio Franco dribbled a grounder that barely cleared the dirt in front of the plate, and Milton bobbled the barehanded pickup as J.D. Drew streaked across home. Jones picked up his second RBI with another infield hit, a grounder down the third-base line that left David Bell with no choice but to make a futile heave toward the plate.
Smith retired the first nine hitters before the Phillies broke through in the fourth. Jimmy Rollins led off with a double and moved to third on Placido Polanco's single. Smith had a chance to escape the inning when Bobby Abreu lined into a double play, but Jim Thome singled to left to pull the Phillies within 3-1.
That was as close as they got. Smith got a big hand from his defense in the fifth when Jones threw out Jason Michaels attempting to score from second on a single up the middle.
Michaels managed to avoid the initial tag by catcher Eddie Perez, but couldn't get a hand on the plate. Perez got the runner as he attempted to scramble back toward home.
Hampton, 9-1 over his last 11 starts, has been bothered for several days by a stiff neck. He'll continue to receive treatment and rejoin the rotation when the pain subsides.
Notes: A stiff breeze blew throughout the game, foreshadowing Tropical Storm Frances. The storm came ashore in the Florida Panhandle and was expected to threaten Tuesday night's game as it moves into Georgia with torrential rain. ... Drew managed to extend his hitting streak to 15 games even though he walked three times. He hit a ground-rule double in the first, then walked in his next three plate appearances, giving him seven over the last two games. ... Braves C Johnny Estrada was late getting to the ballpark. His wife, Jennifer, was scheduled to deliver the couple's third child in the morning. ... Ryan Howard had his first major league hit in the fifth, a pinch-hit single. His first RBI was denied when Michaels was thrown out at the plate.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Monday
January 6th, 2025
9:16AM
