LOPEZ HOMERS TWICE, DRIVES IN 7 IN BRAVES BLOWOUT
Braves Tally 17 on 19 Hits

ATLANTA, July 6 (AP) - Javy Lopez hit a pair of homers and drove in seven runs as the Atlanta Braves routed the Montreal Expos, 17-4, at Turner Field.  Lopez becomes only the fifth major leaguer--and second National League hitter--to drive in at least seven runs in a single game this year.  Jose Guillen of the Cincinnati Reds has the top mark thus far this season with eight, set on April 10 against Houston.  The 17 runs scored represent a season high for the Braves.

Atlanta took the lead in the bottom of the first on a solo home run by Marcus Giles, but Montreal tied the game in the second on Brad Wilkerson's RBI single.

But the rout began in earnest in the bottom of the second when the Braves took the lead for good.  Rafael Furcal's two-out single scored Mark DeRosa, who had doubled two batters earlier.  Another two-bagger, off the bat of Giles, scored Furcal to put Atlanta on top, 3-1.

The Braves scored two more runs in the third, on Chipper Jones' lead-off home run and a run-scoring ground out by Lopez, for a 5-1 lead.

Atlanta all but put the game away in the fourth by scoring three more times.  Chipper Jones laced his second double of the game, driving home Giles, and Andruw Jones followed with a two-run single.

The Expos countered with two runs in the sixth, cutting the deficit to 8-3, but the Braves roared back in their half of the same inning when Lopez belted a three-run home run.  Atlanta then conclusively put the game on ice with a six-run seventh inning.  Furcal's RBI double drove in the first run and Gary Sheffield's base hit brought in another.  A fielder's choice off the bat of pinch hitter Darren Bragg drove home the third run of the inning and Lopez's second three-run homer of the game capped the scoring.

Montreal scored single runs in the eighth and ninth, but it was too little too late.

The victory was the ninth in a row for the Braves who lead the NL East by 9 1/2 games over the second place Philadelphia Phillies.

7/6/2003, Mon03-Atl03, Turner Field
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 Expos             0  1  0  0  0  2  0  1  1     5 12  0    10  1
2003 Braves            1  2  2  3  0  3  6  0  x    17 19  1     7  1
 
Expos                AB  R  H BI   AVG    Braves               AB  R  H BI   AVG
Mateo,H           2b  5  0  1  0  .298    Furcal            ss  5  2  2  2  .336
Carroll           3b  5  0  0  0  .283    Giles,M           2b  5  3  3  2  .351
Calloway,R        rf  5  1  1  0  .203    Sheffield         rf  3  3  2  1  .300
Cabrera,O         ss  3  2  2  0  .272     Franco,M         rf  1  0  0  0  .338
 Biddle           p   0  0  0  0  .000    Jones,C           lf  3  3  3  2  .252
 Schneider        c   1  0  1  0  .283    Jones,A           cf  5  1  2  2  .274
Vitiello          1b  4  0  2  1  .429     Hernandez,Ro     p   0  0  0  0  .000
Wilkerson         cf  5  1  1  1  .293     Holmes           p   0  0  0  0  .000
Macias            lf  3  1  2  0  .258    Fick              1b  4  0  2  0  .288
Barrett           c   4  0  2  1  .217     Gryboski         p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Stewart,Sc       p   0  0  0  0  .000     Bragg            ph  1  1  0  1  .312
Drew,T            p   1  0  0  0  .000    Lopez,JT          c   5  2  2  7  .344
 Tucker,T         p   1  0  0  0  .000    DeRosa            3b  5  1  1  0  .277
 Vidro            ph  0  0  0  0  .309    Hampton           p   3  0  0  0  .080
 Manon            p   0  0  0  0  .000     Bong             p   0  0  0  0  .333
 Eischen          p   0  0  0  0  .000     Franco,Ju        1b  2  1  2  0  .356
 Guzman,E         3b  1  0  0  1  .287                         42 17 19 17
                     38  5 12  4
 
Expos                            INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Drew,T           L 0-1           3.1  9  7  7  1  1  68  40 18.69
Tucker,T                         1.2  3  1  1  0  1  24  16  3.96
Manon                            1.0  1  3  3  2  1  25  14  5.51
Eischen                          0.0  4  5  5  1  0  15   8  6.34
Biddle                           1.0  1  1  1  0  0  14   8  4.62
Stewart,Sc                       1.0  1  0  0  1  1  13   7  5.03
                                 8.0 19 17 17  5  4 159  93
 
Braves                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Hampton          W 6-4           5.2  8  3  3  2  5 104  70  4.82
Bong             H 5             1.0  0  0  0  1  2  17   7  3.41
Gryboski                         0.1  0  0  0  0  1   6   3  5.25
Hernandez,Ro                     1.0  2  1  1  0  0  27  21  6.75
Holmes                           1.0  2  1  1  0  1  15  10  3.68
                                 9.0 12  5  5  3  9 169 111
 
Mon: Vidro batted for Tucker,T in the 6th
     Carroll moved to ss in the 7th
     Guzman,E inserted at 3b in the 7th
     Schneider inserted at c in the 8th
Atl: Franco,Ju inserted at 1b in the 7th
     Bragg batted for Gryboski in the 7th
     Franco,M inserted at rf in the 8th
     Bragg moved to cf in the 8th
 
E-Fick. 2B-Schneider(15), Furcal(19), Giles,M(23), Jones,C 2(12), Fick 2(13),
DeRosa(8), Franco,Ju(11). HR-Giles,M(12), Jones,C(11), Lopez,JT 2(20).
RBI-Vitiello(4), Wilkerson(40), Barrett(26), Guzman,E(7), Furcal 2(47),
Giles,M 2(45), Sheffield(50), Jones,C 2(44), Jones,A 2(57), Lopez,JT 7(57),
Bragg(8). K-Carroll, Calloway,R 3, Vitiello 2, Wilkerson 2, Tucker,T,
Giles,M, Jones,A, Lopez,JT, Franco,M. BB-Cabrera,O, Macias, Vidro, Furcal,
Giles,M, Sheffield, Jones,C 2. SF-Vitiello. HBP-Sheffield. HB-Drew,T.
BALK-Hampton.
GWRBI: Furcal
Temperature: 94, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 1 MPH.
Attendance: 49,722
Game Time: 3:26