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| Jones, Smoltz carry Braves past Marlins ATLANTA 8, FLORIDA 0 |
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By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer MIAMI (Ticker) -- Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann hit back-to-back-to-back home runs and John Smoltz inched closer to the 3,000-strikeout plateau as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Florida Marlins, 8-0, on Thursday night. Jones, Teixeira and McCann accomplished the feat off of Ricky Nolasco in the fifth inning. It was the first time Braves teammates hit three consecutive home runs since May 28, 2003, against Cincinnati. "You end the series in a good, dominant way and everyone got into the action and goes home happy," Jones said. "Now we get the home crowd and home cooking for a week." Jones had four hits in the game, including two home runs for his 37th career multi-home run game. He also doubled, scored three times, and had three runs batted in. Jones, who raised his batting average to .443, now has four homers and extended his hitting streak to nine games. "I've never seen Chipper start a season the way he's starting and certainly he's carrying us and he's hot," Smoltz said. Smoltz (3-0) struck out 10 and did not allow a run in five innings while lowering his ERA to 0.56 in three starts. "You can't pitch any better than that," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Ten punchouts in five innings is phenomenal. We just don't want to take any chances (with his shoulder)." The 40-year-old righthander now has 2,996 career strikeouts and is four short of becoming the 16th pitcher in major league history to reach the 3,000-mark plateau. His next start is Tuesday at home against the Washington Nationals. "I won't get consumed with it until I get three and hopefully the fourth one comes," Smoltz said. "The strikeouts are coming this season because of the lineups, and my slider is as good as it has ever been." Smoltz is looking to join Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez as active players with at least 3,000 strikeouts. Nolasco (1-1) allowed six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. "Not much to say when you put your team behind so quick, especially against a guy like Smoltz," Nolasco said. The Braves got to Nolasco early as Yunel Escobar, Jones and McCann each hit doubles in the first inning for an early 2-0 lead. Florida struck out 16 times, one shy of the franchise record. |
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