Clay Hensley achieved his goal of lasting longer than five innings. It just wasn’t good enough to beat Brandon Beachy on Friday night.

Hensley surrendered a tiebreaking three-run homer by Dan Uggla in the seventh inning and the Florida Marlins managed just three hits against Beachy and two relievers, losing 5-0 to the Atlanta Braves to end their five-game winning streak.

Hensley (1-3) gave up two hits in the first before retiring 16 straight. The streak ended when Martin Prado, who had three hits, led off the seventh with a single up the middle. Freeman followed with another single to center and Prado made it to third with a headfirst slide.

Uggla then connected on an 0-1 pitch, raising his right fist in the air as the ball cleared the wall in center.

“He dropped the barrel on it,” Hensley said. “It wasn’t really that bad of a pitch. He kind of went out there and got it. He’s a good hitter. We all saw that last year.

“He’s one of my best friends. We’ll have some words about that later.”

The Braves acquired Uggla from the Marlins in an offseason trade.

Hensley gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings. He lasted only five innings in each of his first two starts in his return from a right shoulder strain.

“I felt pretty good,” Hensley said. “One of the goals going into this start was to limit the walks if not have any. I wanted to concentrate on strikes and give myself a chance to go deep in the game.

“So I’m happy about that. I’m happy I went out there and got ahead of guys and I didn’t walk anybody tonight.”

Emilio Bonifacio’s 26-game hitting streak, the second-longest in Marlins history, came to an end. After two strikeouts, Bonifacio was thrown out trying to bunt his way on base, then grounded out to third in the eighth.

Marlins manager Jack McKeon said he thought Bonifacio was thinking about the streak early in the game.

“I talked to him. I said ‘Hey, start a new streak,’” McKeon said. “He went up there trying to get that hit that first time. Hey, stay with your game. … The first time I really felt that he really thought about it.”

Uggla extended his hitting streak to 20 games and leads Atlanta with 19 homers. He entered July with a .176 batting average but is up to .206 after going 1 for 4 against Florida.

“It really felt good,” Uggla said. “I tried not to put too much on it other than it put us ahead and put us in position to win.”

Beachy (4-2) yielded two hits, walked three and struck out six in 7 1-3 innings. He pitched into the eighth for the first time in his career.

“Outstanding performance,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He went up and down the strike zone, down and in.

“He was dominant today.”

Eric O’Flaherty recorded the final two outs in the eighth and Scott Linebrink pitched around Gaby Sanchez’s one-out double in the ninth, striking out Logan Morrison to end the game.

Jose Constanza, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, had a run-scoring single off Marlins left-hander Mike Dunn in the eighth for his first hit in the major leagues. Constanza scored from third on Freddie Freeman’s fly ball to left.

Constanza replaced Nate McLouth as the leadoff hitter and center fielder after the veteran was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a lower abdominal strain.

McLouth is the third Atlanta player to be placed on the disabled list this week. Catcher Brian McCann (strained left oblique) and outfielder Jordan Schafer (finger) were shelved on Wednesday.

Also, third baseman Chipper Jones missed his fourth straight start with a strained right quadriceps.

With two outs in the seventh, Constanza misjudged a fly ball hit by Mike Stanton, drifting back before reversing his direction and charging toward the infield too late to make the catch. Stanton made it to second for a double.

Beachy escaped when left fielder Eric Hinske made a leaping catch of Mike Cameron’s line drive two steps in front of the wall, ending the inning.

Sanchez returned for Florida after missing three starts with a tight left hamstring.

NOTES: Uggla’s streak is the longest for the Braves since Kelly Johnson hit in 22 straight games from Sept. 1-24, 2008. … Braves INF Diory Hernandez was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Constanza. … Marlins OF Chris Coghlan, on the 15-day disabled list since June 17 with left knee inflammation, hyperextended his right elbow and is expected to stop his rehab for three to five days. … Freeman, who had two hits, has a 13-game hitting streak.

by

Joe Kay, Associated Press

Atlanta Braves

CINCINNATI — The Braves were looking for a good ending to their lengthy road swing. Instead, things turned sour on the final pitch of the trip.

Atlanta reliever Scott Linebrink gave up a homer to Drew Stubbs leading off the ninth inning Sunday night, and the Reds walked off with a 4-3 win over the Braves.

It was Cincinnati’s second straight victory, and marked the Reds’ first set of back-to-back wins in more than five weeks.

The defending NL Central champions hadn’t won consecutive games since June 14-15.

Stubbs went the opposite way on the first offering from Scott Linebrink (3-2), completing the Reds’ all-power night. Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer, and Miguel Cairo added a solo shot off rookie Brandon Beachy, giving Cincinnati a 3-0 lead.

Francisco Cordero (4-3) fanned pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad with a runner on third base to end the Braves’ ninth.

Reds starter Dontrelle Willis couldn’t hold a 3-2 lead in the seventh, when Julio Lugo tied it with a pinch-hit single. The left-hander was trying to get his first big league win since June 5 last season.

Willis put on a show at the start. He got through the inning on seven pitches, all strikes, and ended the inning with a flourish.

Brian McCann grounded to first baseman Joey Votto, whose flip to Willis was a little behind the pitcher. Willis reached back, caught the ball, then dived and tagged the base with his glove. He rolled once on the ground before getting to his feet.

McCann hit his second homer of the series in the fourth inning, and the Braves got another run when Alex Gonzalez grounded into a forceout, cutting Cincinnati’s lead to 3-2. McCann’s 18 homers are the most by a catcher in the majors.

For a moment, it appeared Willis might have to leave early. He fanned Martin Prado in the third inning on a hard slider, then shook his left hand and looked at his fingertips. A trainer checked out his hand, and Baker and pitching coach Bryan Price talked to him on the bench after the inning.

Willis stayed in until the seventh, when Nate McLouth singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Lugo’s single, which ended his 0-for-12 slump.

Braves starter Brandon Beachy was coming off the worst outing of his young career. The rookie gave up six runs, nine hits and two homers — all career highs — in only 4 2-3 innings of a 12-3 loss at Colorado on Tuesday.

The right-hander gave up two more homers Sunday night. Phillips hit an opposite-field, two-run shot in the first inning, and Miguel Cairo hit a solo homer off the facing of the upper deck in left field in the second for a 3-0 lead. Beachy went six innings.

Braves second baseman Dan Uggla went 0-for-3, ending his career-best hitting streak at 14 games.

Edgar Renteria replaced injured rookie shortstop Zack Cozart and
drove in three runs Saturday, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to an
11-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Cozart hyperextended his left elbow while trying to make a tag
in the fourth inning, getting Renteria off the bench. His two-run
double off Derek Lowe (6-8) started a three-run rally in the sixth
inning that put the Reds ahead.

Brandon Phillips had a pair of run-scoring doubles, and Todd
Frazier doubled with the bases loaded as Cincinnati pulled
away.

Homer Bailey (5-4) threw 53 pitches in the first two innings,
but made it through six on a 92-degree afternoon. Lowe’s
bases-loaded double drove in a pair in the second.

It was Cincinnati’s highest-scoring game since an 11-2 win over
Pittsburgh on April 16. The Reds scored seven runs in the seventh,
matching their season high. It was the most runs off Atlanta’s
staff in an inning this season.

The Reds remain stuck in their win-one, lose-one pattern. They
haven’t won consecutive games since June 14-15.

Cozart hurt his left elbow while trying to catch the ball and
tag out the sliding Nate McLouth in the fourth inning. Cozart lost
his glove and fell to the ground, grabbing his left elbow. He
covered his face with his right hand, fighting back pain, while a
trainer examined the elbow.

X-rays were negative. There was no immediate word on how long
he’d be out. Cozart was called up on July 7 and gave the Reds a
boost at a troublesome position, hitting safely in his first seven
games.

Lowe took a 2-1 lead into the sixth but couldn’t get another
out. Jay Bruce, out of the lineup with an inner-ear problem, had a
pinch-hit double, starting Cincinnati’s comeback. The Reds cobbled
together five consecutive hits for a 4-2 lead, knocking Lowe from
the game.

Renteria singled home another run off Scott Proctor in the
seventh, when Cincinnati sent 11 batters to the plate. Frazier’s
three-run double made it 11-2.

Bailey routinely fell behind in the count, setting himself up
for a tough time. Atlanta couldn’t take full advantage, stranding
eight runners during his six innings.

Jason Heyward was thrown out at the plate while trying to score
from second base on Freddie Freeman’s single in the first inning.
Atlanta loaded the bases with one out in the second, and Lowe
doubled for a 2-1 lead. Lowe leads the Braves’ pitching staff with
eight hits and six RBIs.

Atlanta left the bases loaded in the inning when Brian McCann
flied out to the warning track in center.

Braves second baseman Dan Uggla ran before the game, testing the
sore left calf that kept him out of the lineup the two previous
games. He was back in the lineup on Saturday and singled in his
first at-bat, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 14
games.

Notes: The crowd of 41,192 gave the Reds their 11th sellout,
matching the record for a season at Great American Ball Park. ..
Bruce left for a pinch-runner after his double in the sixth. …
The Reds gave away 30,000 Jonny Gomes bobbleheads.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Raul Ibanez homered and drove in six runs to back eight strong innings by Cole Hamels in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 14-1 rout of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
Hamels (11-4) allowed three hits while striking out six and walking two. The left-hander, who was selected to his second All-Star team but won’t pitch due to Sunday’s start, allowed just one hit after the second inning and retired his final 13 batters.
Philadelphia, which had 17 hits and scored four runs in 21 innings in the first two extra-inning games of the series, finished with a season-high 20 hits.
John Mayberry Jr. had three doubles and drove in a career-high four runs and Michael Martinez, filling in for injured All-Star third baseman Placido Polanco, had four hits for the Phillies.
Martinez, who entered batting .192, raised his average to .229.
The Phillies took two of three in the series to increase their lead to 3½ games over Atlanta in the NL East. Philadelphia (57-34) matched the club record for wins in the first half, tying the 1993 team.
Derek Lowe (5-7) allowed 10 hits in four innings, and the Phillies tagged reliever Cory Gearrin for six runs in one-third of an inning.
Dan Uggla doubled to extend his hitting streak to six games and scored for the Braves (54-38), who had won nine of 10 entering the series.
Hamels was the third straight All-Star starter to face the Braves in the series, following Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Unlike his two heralded teammates, who earned no-decisions despite pitching well, Hamels earned a victory thanks to the offensive support.
Philadelphia led 4-1 before breaking the game open in the seventh with six runs on five hits and two walks. All of the runs were charged to Gearrin. The scoring was capped by Mayberry’s two-run double, his third of the game. Ibanez and Brown also had two-RBI hits in the frame in which the Phillies sent 10 batters to the plate.
The crowd of 45,853, the 172nd sellout and third-largest in Citizens Bank Park history, did the Tomahawk Chop in the inning in mock imitation of Braves fans at Turner Field.
Philadelphia added four more runs in the eighth, highlighted by Ibanez’s three-run homer to right off Scott Proctor.
The Phillies broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the third inning on RBIs from Ryan Howard and Ibanez. Martinez reached with a one-out infield single, went to third on Chase Utley’s single to right and scored on Howard’s single to center. Utley, who went to third on Howard’s hit after stealing second during the at-bat, scored on Ibanez’s grounder to second.
Notes: The Phillies and Braves are the only major league clubs not to have been swept in a three-game series this season. … The Phillies’ previous best offensive output was 18 hits at Florida on July 5. … Polanco missed his sixth straight game with a back injury. … Atlanta’s Brandon Hicks struck out pinch-hitting in the seventh and has one hit in his last 21 at-bats.

Brandon Lyon has not found a groove since coming off the
disabled list.

Brian McCann hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning, lifting
the Braves to a 6-3 win over Houston on Saturday night, for their
fifth straight victory.

McCann’s shot to right field off Lyon (3-3) scored Jordan
Schafer and Dan Uggla to give him 501 career RBIs and put Atlanta
on top 5-2. Schafer singled before Uggla walked.

The Astros have lost seven of eight, including all four of their
games against the Braves this season. McCann has three homers
against Houston, two in Atlanta and one at Minute Maid Park.

Lyon struggled to throw strikes in his second appearance since
coming off the DL this week. He also gave up a homer in Friday’s
loss to the Braves.

“I didn’t make enough pitches, just fell behind a lot,” Lyon
said. “I couldn’t find the strike zone and when I did find the
strike zone, they hit the ball. Obviously, I will just come out
tomorrow, work through it and try to get better.”

Lyon insists that he is pain free. He was on the disabled list
for more than a month with right biceps tendinitis.

“I am not hurt at all. I wish I could make an excuse like that,”
he said. “I felt great, I felt fine out there today. I just didn’t
make the pitches that I needed to.”

Chipper Jones hit his second double after McCann’s homer to
chase Lyon and scored on a two-out single by Eric Hinske to make it
6-2.

Hinske homered for the second straight game to tie it in the
fourth inning and Jones drove in a run in the third.

Houston’s Hunter Pence had two hits including an RBI double in
the first inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 22
games, which is the longest current streak in the majors.

Pence left Friday’s game after the third inning with tightness
in his lower back. Astros manager Brad Mills said that might have
helped Pence prolong his streak.

“A lot of times, when something is tweaked you just kind of calm
down a little bit,” Mills said. “But he is squaring a lot of balls
up right now, seeing the ball real well. He is just a lot calmer at
the plate right now.”

Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel allowed two hits and a run in the
10th inning.

Houston rookie Jordan Lyles, who at 20 years old is the youngest
player in the majors, allowed eight hits and two runs in 6 1-3
innings in his third start overall and first at Minute Maid
Park.

“I just wanted to stand in there and keep making pitches,” said
Lyles. “The two times I did give up runs tonight, I really didn’t
get into too much trouble.”

Braves starter Mike Minor yielded four hits and two runs with
four strikeouts in six innings.

Houston had runners on first and second in the ninth, but Scott
Linebrink (2-1) retired Jason Bourgeois to send it to the 10th.

Matt Young singled with one out in the ninth inning but was
thrown out trying to steal second base. He was initially called
safe but slid away from the base and was tagged out by Clint Barmes
before pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad struck out.

The Astros had a shot to take the lead in the seventh inning
after singles by Carlos Corporan and Bourgeois, but Michael Bourn
grounded out to end the inning.

Diory Hernandez reached on an error by Jeff Keppinger when he
couldn’t handle his grounder with none out in the seventh inning.
Uggla singled after a sacrifice by Schafer to send Hernandez to
third base and chase Lyles.

McCann grounded into a double play off Sergio Escalona to allow
Houston to once again escape trouble.

Bourn tripled to the left field corner with one out in the first
inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games before Pence and
Carlos Lee hit consecutive RBI doubles to nearly the same spot to
put Houston up 2-0.

Jones got Atlanta to 2-1 with his two-out RBI double in the
third inning. Lyles walked Uggla to set up that score. Hinske’s
homer to right field tied it at 2 in the fourth inning.

Freddie Freeman doubled in the second inning before a single by
Alex Gonzalez put runners at the corners. Young reached on a
fielder’s choice but Freeman got thrown out in a rundown between
third and home for the second out. Lyles escaped the jam when he
struck out Minor.

NOTE: The Astros honored television broadcaster Bill Brown in a
pregame ceremony for his 25th season calling Houston’s games.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

by

The Associated Press

Rn T.Com

HOUSTON – Brian McCann hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning, lifting the Atlanta Braves to their fifth straight win, 6-3 over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

McCann’s shot to right field off Brandon Lyon scored Jordan Schafer and Dan Uggla to give him 501 career RBIs and put Atlanta on top 5-2. Schafer singled before Uggla walked.

The Astros have lost seven of eight.

Lyon (3-3) struggled to throw strikes in his second appearance since coming off the disabled list this week. He also gave up a homer in Friday’s loss to the Braves.

Chipper Jones hit his second double after McCann’s homer to chase Lyon and scored on a two-out single by Eric Hinske to make it 6-2.

Hinske homered for the second straight game to tie it in the fourth inning and Jones drove in a run in the third.

Houston’s Hunter Pence had two hits including an RBI double in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 22 games, which is the longest current streak in the majors.

Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel allowed two hits and a run in the 10th inning.

Houston rookie Jordan Lyles, who at 20 years old is the youngest player in the majors, allowed eight hits and two runs in 6 1-3 innings in his third start overall and first at Minute Maid Park.

Braves starter Mike Minor yielded four hits and two runs with four strikeouts in six innings.

Houston had runners on first and second in the ninth, but Scott Linebrink (2-1) retired Jason Bourgeois to send it to the 10th.

Matt Young singled with one out in the ninth inning but was thrown out trying to steal second base. He was initially called safe but slid away from the base and was tagged out by Clint Barmes before pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad struck out.

The Astros had a shot to take the lead in the seventh inning after singles by Carlos Corporan and Bourgeois, but Michael Bourn grounded out to end the inning.

Diory Hernandez reached on an error by Jeff Keppinger when he couldn’t handle his grounder with none out in the seventh inning. Uggla singled after a sacrifice by Schafer to send Hernandez to third base and chase Lyles.

McCann grounded into a double play off Sergio Escalona to allow Houston to once again escape trouble.

Bourn tripled to the left field corner with one out in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games before Pence and Carlos Lee hit consecutive RBI doubles to nearly the same spot to put Houston up 2-0.

Jones got Atlanta to 2-1 with his two-out RBI double in the third inning. Lyles walked Uggla to set up that score. Hinske’s homer to right field tied it at 2-all in the fourth inning.

Freddie Freeman doubled in the second inning before a single by Alex Gonzalez put runners at the corners. Young reached on a fielder’s choice but Freeman got thrown out in a rundown between third and home for the second out. Lyles escaped the jam when he struck out Minor.

The 39-year-old Jones wowed the crowd with two diving catches that robbed the Astros of hits in the fifth and sixth innings.

NOTES: Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez spoke to Martin Prado, who is on the disabled list with a staph infection, on Saturday. He said Prado is receiving intravenous antibiotics daily in Atlanta and that he is feeling much better. … Gonzalez said that CF Jason Heyward (right shoulder) felt good after his second day of swinging off a tee and doing baseball activities and that he could go out for a rehabilitation assignment as soon as the middle of next week. … Braves RHP Brandon Beachy, on the DL since May 14 with a strained muscle on his left side, threw 51 pitches in a simulated game on Saturday. … The Astros honored television broadcaster Bill Brown in a pregame ceremony for his 25th season calling Houston’s games.