ATLANTA — Even Dan Uggla thinks this is unbelievable.

Uggla belted a pair of solo homers off Carlos Zambrano to extend his hitting streak to an Atlanta-record 32 games and lead the Braves to a 10-4 victory over the Cubs on Friday night.

“It’s crazy,” Uggla said following his second straight three-hit game. “It’s not one of the things I set for a goal when I came over here.”

Zambrano (9-7) gave up eight runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings. The volatile right-hander then packed up his locker and talked about retiring before leaving the clubhouse.

Uggla passed Rico Carty’s 31-game streak in 1970 for the longest in Atlanta Braves history when he led off the second with his 25th homer.

The second baseman, acquired from Florida in the offseason, had a rough first half in his first season with the Braves. He has raised his batting average from .173 to .229 and leads the team with 26 homers.

“Good for him,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We sure need him to be doing that in the middle of our lineup.”

The Braves rolled to their fifth consecutive win after former manager Bobby Cox’s No. 6 was retired in a pregame ceremony.

“I sure hope he goes home happy,” said Atlanta’s Chipper Jones, who hit a three-run homer. “I’m still trying to make him proud any way I can.”

Zambrano allowed a career-worst five homers, and manager Mike Quade said he then left the team.

“I’m really disappointed,” Quade said. “His locker is empty. He walked out on 24 guys … I don’t know where he’s gone or what he’s doing.

“He’s talking about retiring … but I can’t have a guy walking out on 24 guys.”

Zambrano was ejected by umpire Tim Timmons in the fifth inning after throwing two inside pitches to Jones, the second going all the way to the backstop. The brush-back pitches followed homers by Freddie Freeman and Uggla.

Jose Constanza also went deep against Zambrano.

Starlin Castro homered and Alfonso Soriano had two RBIs for the Cubs, who had won nine of 11.

Uggla went 3 for 3 and scored three times. His streak, which began on July 5, is the longest in the majors this season.

As the streak has grown, the Braves have become more emotionally involved.

“We’re all hanging on every at-bat, hoping he gets it out of the way early, and he did,” Jones said.

Tommy Holmes holds the franchise record with a 37-game hitting streak as a member of the Boston Braves in 1945. Uggla said he wasn’t familiar with Carty or Holmes.

Atlanta grabbed control with three runs in the third. Zambrano retired the first two batters before Freeman singled and Uggla was hit by a pitch. Jones then hit a drive to center for his 10th homer, making it 5-1.

Freeman and Uggla hit back-to-back homers in the fifth to give Atlanta an 8-1 lead. Zambrano then threw one pitch inside to Jones and was immediately tossed after the Atlanta star had to jump back to avoid another inside pitch.

As Jones stood at the plate, staring at Zambrano, the Braves came out of their dugout. Timmons rushed toward the dugout, cautioning the players not to come out any farther.

Zambrano looked back at Jones as he walked off the field, then was shown on TV smiling before leaving the dugout.

Zambrano dropped to 2-5 with a 6.08 ERA in 13 career starts against Atlanta. The right-hander has dropped his last five decisions against the Braves.

Atlanta rookie Mike Minor (2-2) gave up three runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings. The left-hander allowed three hits in the sixth, including a two-run double by Soriano. Braves left fielder Martin Prado almost caught Soriano’s drive, but the ball bounced out of his glove when he crashed into the wall.

Rookie right-hander Arodys Vizcaino pitched two scoreless innings for Atlanta.

Jones, three of Cox’s top former pitchers — Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz — and team president John Schuerholz spoke at the pregame ceremony.

Cox also was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame.

NOTES: Uggla entered Friday night’s game batting .355 (44 for 124) with 12 homers and 29 RBIs during the streak, but only .224 overall. … The Cubs announced they have agreed to terms with first baseman Trevor Gretzky, the son of former hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Trevor Gretzky, 18, was a seventh-round pick from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian High School. … Braves C Brian McCann (strained left oblique) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. He was to have one game as a designated hitter, one game as a catcher and then possibly come off the disabled list on Sunday. … Jones’ homer was his 1,000th extra-base hit. … Attendance was 50,146.

Third baseman had surgery on right knee two weeks ago

By CHARLES ODUM

AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — Chipper Jones returned from the 15-day disabled list on Monday and is back in the Braves’ starting lineup only two weeks after having surgery on his right knee.

Jones played two games in a short injury rehab with Class A Rome. His last test was performing running drills before batting practice Monday under the supervision of trainer Jeff Porter.

“The biggest thing that was causing me pain until this weekend was hitting right-handed,” said the switch-hitting third baseman.

Jones said he has no continued concern about his right-handed swing.

“I assured them there will be nothing knee-related that will keep me out of there,” Jones said, adding he had some soreness in other parts of his legs as he returns to playing shape.

To make room for Jones, outfielder Wilkin Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.

The Braves waited until after batting practice to send Ramirez back to Gwinnett after considering a move to place outfielder Jordan Schafer on the disabled list. Schafer has been unable to swing due to what has been called a jammed left middle finger.

He said he had X-rays early Monday which showed a chip fracture in the finger.

Schafer said he believes he’ll be ready to start in a couple days.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he’ll use a pinch-runner for Jones late in games but trusts that the veteran has full clearance.

“I trust him. We trust him,” Gonzalez said. “He knows his body. He’s good.”

Martin Prado, who filled in for Jones at third base, was back in left field against the Pirates. Nate McLouth started in center.

Chipper Jones’ previous trip to Houston ended with a serious knee injury that left his future in doubt.

It was clear in his return to the city that the 39-year-old slugger has plenty left in the tank.

Jones homered, drove in two runs and even had his first steal of the season as the Atlanta Braves pounded the Astros 11-4 on Friday night.

Freddie Freeman and Alex Gonzalez homered on back-to-back pitches during Atlanta’s four-run third inning, helping the Braves score as many runs as they had in the previous five games combined.

Freeman’s two-out, two-run shot off fellow rookie Aneury Rodriguez landed several rows up in the second deck in right field and gave Atlanta a 4-0 lead. Gonzalez sent the next pitch into the Crawford Boxes in left field.

Jones had three hits and Eric Hinske also homered for Atlanta, which tied its season high for runs in its fourth consecutive victory. Freeman and Gonzalez had three RBIs apiece.

Jones, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee fielding a ground ball last August against the Astros, wasn’t quite ready to celebrate a triumphant return.

“We’re not done yet,” Jones said. “Until I get out of here healthy on the plane, I’m going to reserve my comments.”

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez liked that Jones was able to have such a good game in a place that held bad memories for him.

“To come here and have that kind of night, I hope it keeps him going for a while, because we sure need him in the middle of the lineup,” Gonzalez said. “Not that he wasn’t hitting, but this was nice to see him driving the ball the other way.”

Braves starter Tim Hudson (5-5) pitched six effective innings, yielding two runs and seven hits. He loved seeing the offense clicking and was especially impressed with Jones.

“He’s looking pretty good,” Hudson said. “The old battle ax is going out there and not looking his age.”

While everyone raved about Jones, he gushed about the work Freeman and other young players have done in filling in for several injured Braves.

“I think tonight was a big win for us,” he said. “We’re starting to see some averages go up and some home run totals go up and some guys get some confidence. It’s important for us to win ballgames right now while we’ve got so many people injured so that when we get them back we hopefully can continue to do so.”

Matt Downs hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Houston, which has dropped six of seven. Michael Bourn had a triple and two doubles while tying a career high with four hits.

Rodriguez (0-4) lasted just four-plus innings and is winless in eight starts.

The Astros hurt themselves with poor defense in the third. First baseman Brett Wallace’s error on Jones’ two-out infield single allowed Dan Uggla to score.

Jones then picked up his stolen base before the homers by Freeman and Gonzalez.

“This is the second time this happens to me, that after an error they get me for three, four runs,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know what’s happening. I keep doing the same, throwing strikes.”

Houston right fielder Hunter Pence singled in the third to extend his career-long hitting streak to 21 games — the longest current streak in the majors. But Pence left after the inning with tightness in his lower back and was replaced by Jason Michaels.

Pence said he expects to play on Saturday.

Freeman had an RBI single in the first, and Gonzalez added a two-run double in Atlanta’s four-run fifth. Jones also had an RBI single in the fifth.

Houston closer Brandon Lyon surrendered Jones’ homer in the eighth in his first appearance since May 4 after coming off the disabled list following Wednesday’s game.

“It was good to get Lyon in the game, get some of the rust off him,” Houston manager Brad Mills said.

Rodriguez gave up six runs and six hits. He struck out four and walked one.

NOTES: Houston purchased the contract of C Carlos Corporan from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned C Robinson Cancel to its top farm club. Corporan, who is scheduled to start on Saturday, had a pinch-hit single in the ninth. … Gonzalez said OF Nate McLouth, on the disabled list with a strained muscle on his left side, is scheduled to play in a simulated game on Saturday in Florida. He’ll face RHP Brandon Beachy, who has been on the DL since May 14 with the same injury. Beachy is scheduled to throw three innings. He will then throw four or five innings on Thursday and up to 100 pitches on June 21. … The Astros signed second-round draft pick RHP Adrian Houser.

Chipper Jones’ previous trip to Houston ended with a serious knee injury that left his future in doubt.

It was clear in his return to the city that the 39-year-old slugger has plenty left in the tank.

Jones homered, drove in two runs and even had his first steal of the season as the Atlanta Braves pounded the Astros 11-4 on Friday night.

Freddie Freeman and Alex Gonzalez homered on back-to-back pitches during Atlanta’s four-run third inning, helping the Braves score as many runs as they had in the previous five games combined.

Freeman’s two-out, two-run shot off fellow rookie Aneury Rodriguez landed several rows up in the second deck in right field and gave Atlanta a 4-0 lead. Gonzalez sent the next pitch into the Crawford Boxes in left field.

Jones had three hits and Eric Hinske also homered for Atlanta, which tied its season high for runs in its fourth consecutive victory. Freeman and Gonzalez had three RBIs apiece.

Jones, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee fielding a ground ball last August against the Astros, wasn’t quite ready to celebrate a triumphant return.

“We’re not done yet,” Jones said. “Until I get out of here healthy on the plane, I’m going to reserve my comments.”

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez liked that Jones was able to have such a good game in a place that held bad memories for him.

“To come here and have that kind of night, I hope it keeps him going for a while, because we sure need him in the middle of the lineup,” Gonzalez said. “Not that he wasn’t hitting, but this was nice to see him driving the ball the other way.”

Braves starter Tim Hudson (5-5) pitched six effective innings, yielding two runs and seven hits. He loved seeing the offense clicking and was especially impressed with Jones.

“He’s looking pretty good,” Hudson said. “The old battle ax is going out there and not looking his age.”

While everyone raved about Jones, he gushed about the work Freeman and other young players have done in filling in for several injured Braves.

“I think tonight was a big win for us,” he said. “We’re starting to see some averages go up and some home run totals go up and some guys get some confidence. It’s important for us to win ballgames right now while we’ve got so many people injured so that when we get them back we hopefully can continue to do so.”

Matt Downs hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Houston, which has dropped six of seven. Michael Bourn had a triple and two doubles while tying a career high with four hits.

Rodriguez (0-4) lasted just four-plus innings and is winless in eight starts.

The Astros hurt themselves with poor defense in the third. First baseman Brett Wallace’s error on Jones’ two-out infield single allowed Dan Uggla to score.

Jones then picked up his stolen base before the homers by Freeman and Gonzalez.

“This is the second time this happens to me, that after an error they get me for three, four runs,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know what’s happening. I keep doing the same, throwing strikes.”

Houston right fielder Hunter Pence singled in the third to extend his career-long hitting streak to 21 games — the longest current streak in the majors. But Pence left after the inning with tightness in his lower back and was replaced by Jason Michaels.

Pence said he expects to play on Saturday.

Freeman had an RBI single in the first, and Gonzalez added a two-run double in Atlanta’s four-run fifth. Jones also had an RBI single in the fifth.

Houston closer Brandon Lyon surrendered Jones’ homer in the eighth in his first appearance since May 4 after coming off the disabled list following Wednesday’s game.

“It was good to get Lyon in the game, get some of the rust off him,” Houston manager Brad Mills said.

Rodriguez gave up six runs and six hits. He struck out four and walked one.

NOTES: Houston purchased the contract of C Carlos Corporan from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned C Robinson Cancel to its top farm club. Corporan, who is scheduled to start on Saturday, had a pinch-hit single in the ninth. … Gonzalez said OF Nate McLouth, on the disabled list with a strained muscle on his left side, is scheduled to play in a simulated game on Saturday in Florida. He’ll face RHP Brandon Beachy, who has been on the DL since May 14 with the same injury. Beachy is scheduled to throw three innings. He will then throw four or five innings on Thursday and up to 100 pitches on June 21. … The Astros signed second-round draft pick RHP Adrian Houser.

Chipper Jones(notes) said that if teammate Jason Heyward(notes) can muster “80 percent” of his own capabilities while playing with an injured right shoulder, then he should be on the field — because the Atlanta Braves need him there.

Jones is 39 years old, with 17 years of major league experience, 441 home runs and 10 trips to the disabled list (so far) on his Cooperstown résumé. Heyward is 21, coming off a spectacular rookie season — but one in which he played through several nagging injuries.

So, it’s easy to see why Jones thinks he can offer guidance.

Though he was eligible to come off the DL on Tuesday, Heyward reportedly has not swung a bat in more than two weeks and isn’t ready to hit from a tee yet. Heyward has said he doesn’t want to try to play until the pain is gone.

But that’s not good enough for Jones, whose comments as reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution go to show that you don’t have to be in high school in order to get pressure from your peers:

“I think where Jason might have erred was the comment that he made, ‘I’m not coming back until it doesn’t hurt anymore.’ That has a tendency to rub people the wrong way,” Jones said.

“What Jason needs to realize is that Jason at 80 percent is a force, and Jason at 80 percent is better than a lot of people in this league. And that there are a bunch of his teammates that are out there playing with discomfort and not healthy, and still going at it.”

Holy cow, Chipper’s going to hurt Heyward’s other shoulder if he twists his left arm anymore. Or make him fall on his face and break his nose because of the guilt trip. As a respected team leader, Chipper’s voice will be heard inside Atlanta’s clubhouse on any topic he so chooses.

Hopefully, Heyward ignores him this time.

Jones wants to appear as trying to influence Heyward by having him put team before self. But it comes off as disingenuous: Chipper knows his days are numbered (he’s been talking about retiring for a while) and his chance to win another World Series might come down to, well, this year or never more.

Heyward has many more summers to go. And he knows it.

“I thought I could play with it some; I had some stretches this year where I was where I thought I should be,” he said. “But the wear and tear of every day and how hard I play, and swinging the bat every day, made it worse gradually. It’s a little frustrating, but while I still have time — this is only year two of my career — so I most definitely need to take care of it.”

Heyward’s first duty is to himself. But even looking at it from the team point of view, what Chipper wants Heyward to do is reckless. Heyward was batting .214/.317/.407 in 161 plate appearances, and went 4 for 41 with one extra-base hit in May, before being shut down. At best, those stats are 80 percent of the worst guy on the a major league bench. That’s not what Jason Heyward can do. That’s not what the Braves want.

And where does Chipper get that Heyward is at “80 percent,” anyway? That’s how you pull muscles, by yanking stuff out of your keister. By using Chipper’s logic, and health history, can we trust that he knows how to manage even his own injuries? How much you want to bet that Chipper trying to play through injuries of his own made them worse? He probably cost his team with ineffective at-bats, and with bad defense, because he was too proud to say he was hurt and shut it down.

While they’re hanging near the top of the NL East, the Braves came into Wednesday ranking 24th in runs scored in the majors, and 21st in OPS. They do need Heyward’s bat, but not the one he was swinging before he went on the disabled list in late May.

Chipper Jones has loads of experience but, in this case, lacks wisdom.

Big BLS H/T: Evan Brunell at CBS Eye on Baseball and Jeff Sullivan at SB Nation.

Follow Dave on Twitter — @AnswerDave — and engage the Stew on Facebook

Related: Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves, injuries

by

The Associated Press

Rn T.Com

NEW YORK — Eric Hinske had just finished his midgame routine, stretching and swinging off a tee and preparing to possibly pinch-hit much later.

That’s when he walked into the Atlanta dugout and saw a most scary scene in the fifth inning — Braves rookie Jordan Schafer fouled a ball off his face and went down in the dirt.

After Schafer wobbled off the field and headed to a hospital for X-rays, Hinske was sent up to finish the at-bat. He struck out, but later hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth off Francisco Rodriguez that sent the Braves over the New York Mets 6-3 Friday night.

“I was thinking I was going to try to ambush him,” Hinske said. “I took a chance on a first-pitch fastball and got ready early.”

Schafer was struck squarely around his upper lip and nose. A trainer helped him to the dugout with a towel pressed tight to his face. Schafer was set to have a CT scan and there was no report on the severity of his injury.

Booed as always, old Mets nemesis Chipper Jones began the Braves’ comeback from a 3-1 deficit with a leadoff home run in the eighth. Later in the inning, a two-out error by shortstop Jose Reyes let the tying run score.

“They’ve always provided me incentive to try to make left turns at first base instead of right,” Jones said of the New York crowds.

The long, long drive to left field was the 441st career homer for Jones. The drive apparently impressed Mets catcher Josh Thole, too.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever hit a home run where I heard the catcher say, ‘Oh my God!’ when I hit it,” Jones said.

Earlier, about 800 fans gathered on a pedestrian bridge beyond the right-center field wall to cheer Reyes and urge Mets management to not trade the All-Star. By the end of the game, the Citi Field crowd was booing another late collapse by the Mets.

The Mets set a dubious major league record: Their last six home losses all have come in games in which they led in the seventh inning. A day earlier, they pulled off their biggest comeback in 11 years when they rallied from a seven-run deficit to beat Pittsburgh.

“They’re aware of exactly what’s going on,” Mets manager Terry Collins said about his players. “They talked about it.”

“We’ve got to continue to work together, we’ve got to continue to work through these and add on some runs and try not to let it happen,” he said. “As I told Jose, ‘If there’s anybody I want that ball hit to, it would be him, so, hang with it.’”

Rookie Freddie Freeman had three hits. His two-run double in the ninth gave the Braves extra insurance.

Craig Kimbel closed for his 17th save in 21 tries. His save total is the highest for an NL rookie before the All-Star break, breaking the mark that Yhency Brazoban set for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005. Boston’s Jonathan Papelbon holds the big league record in this category with 26 in 2006.

Jonny Venters (4-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Rodriguez (1-2) was hit hard in the ninth.

Schafer squared around to bunt to start the fifth and Jonathon Niese’s pitch tailed in toward him. The ball deflected off his bat and hit the center fielder flush, and Hinske entered.

“I didn’t even know the count when I came up. I asked the umpire,” Hinske said.

Because Hinske came up with the count 0-2, the strikeout was charged to Schafer. But with one out in the ninth, Hinske’s drive barely over the right-field wall put Atlanta ahead 4-3.

Jones connected against Niese to get Atlanta within one. Still heckled because of all the big hits he delivered at Shea Stadium, Jones was batting under .200 at the Mets’ newer stadium when he homered.

Jones liked playing at Shea so much that he named a son after the old ballpark. Jones’ 46 homers against the Mets are his most against any opponent.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t have another one named Citi,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez quipped.

Jason Isringhausen relieved with two outs and walked slumping Dan Uggla. After a wild pitch, Alex Gonzalez hit a grounder that skipped past Reyes for the tying run.Reyes opened the fourth with his major league-leading ninth triple. Carlos Beltran, Daniel Murphy and Angel Pagan hit RBI singles off Derek Lowe for a 3-1 lead.

NOTES: Jason Bay is 0 for 17 lifetime against Lowe after going hitless in two at-bats with a walk. … Alex Gonzalez lost control of his bat and it helicoptered three rows into the seats, sending a man’s beer splashing and showering the fans around him.