Wild 6-3 win for Braves

NEW YORK - Jair Jurrjens had himself a pretty streaky night.

Jurrjens walked three consecutive batters with the bases loaded in the third inning, then got his first major league hit ahead of Kelly Johnson's tiebreaking, two-run homer to help the Atlanta Braves beat the struggling New York Mets 6-3 Friday night.

Johnson had four RBIs for the Braves, who sent the Mets to their fifth loss in six games following a five-game winning streak. Jurrjens (3-2) recovered from his wild stretch he didn't allow another batter to reach and retired his final 10 batters combining with four relievers on a two-hitter.

Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox was smoking but it had nothing to do with Shea Stadium's new ban that prohibits cigars and the like. With Jurrjens angry at plate umpire Tim McClelland over ball-strike calls in the third, Cox came out of the dugout and was ejected for the 136th time, extending his major league record.

Jurrjens' walks put the Mets ahead 3-1, but the Braves tied it on Johnson's sacrifice fly in the fourth and Jeff Francoeur's RBI double in the fifth a drive that bounced against the wall, ricocheted off left fielder Angel Pagan and hit off the fence a second time.

A 22-year-old rookie, Jurrjens had been 0-for-8 at the plate since coming up to the Braves last August. He fouled off three straight 1-2 pitches with one out in the sixth, then singled up the middle off Mike Pelfrey (2-1).

Johnson sent the next pitch over the right-field fence for his fourth homer this season, putting the Braves ahead 5-3. Johnson added an RBI single in the seventh against Pedro Feliciano.

Just after the Braves went ahead, a series of fights and food-and-beverage throwing altercations took place on two decks on the third-base side. Several fans were forcibly removed by security.

New York is a banged-up team, with pitchers Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez sidelined by injuries along with left fielder Moises Alou and catcher Brian Schneider.

``We don't really need any type of refocus,'' manager Willie Randolph said before the game. ``We had a couple days where we didn't play too well, but that's a small, small window of a season. It's going to happen.''

First baseman Carlos Delgado was given a night off from the starting lineup and struck out as a pinch-hitter. He is in a 3-for-30 slide and batting just .195.

``When you're struggling sometimes, maybe a nice little mental break might be good for you,'' Randolph said.

Atlanta was ahead 1-0 and the Mets had the bases loaded with two outs in the third when Jurrjens got ahead 0-2 in the count against David Wright. The next pitch appeared to be over the outside corner, but McClelland called it a ball.

When Jurrjens' 3-2 pitch was just outside and called a ball, the pitcher stretched his arms as if to say: ``What's wrong with that?'' a move umpires never appreciate. Cox then came out of the dugout and quickly was tossed for the first time this year.

Jurrjens fell behind Carlos Beltran 3-0 and walked him on five pitches, and he walked Ryan Church on seven. Jurrjens then threw a called third strike past Pagan, starting his streak of 10 straight outs.

Jurrjens allowed three runs, two hits and four walks in six innings, and Will Ohman, Blaine Boyer, Royce Ring and Manny Acosta finished. Pelfrey never had a 1-2-3 inning and gave up five runs, nine hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings.