ORTIZ WINS 20TH AS BRAVES TRIP BUCS
Atlanta Chops Magic Number to 6
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 29 (AP) - Russ Ortiz battled control problems but became
the first National League pitcher to win 20 games this season as the Atlanta
Braves defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3 at PNC Park. It was the fifth
straight victory and the 97th of the season for the Braves as the club lowered
its magic number for clinching the NL East to six. Ortiz extended his
personal winning streak to a major league season best 17 consecutive decisions;
his last loss came on May 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
The Braves took the lead for good in the top of the very first inning.
Facing Pirates starter Solomon Torres, Rafael Furcal led off the game with his
20th home run of the year. It was the fifth time Furcal has led off a game
with a home run this season, tying him with Houston's Craig Biggio for most in
the major leagues.
Atlanta added a run in the third. Gary Sheffield was hit by a pitch
leading off the frame and Chipper Jones singled to right, advancing Sheffield to
third. Andruw Jones then reached on an infield hit, scoring Sheffield to
put the Braves on top, 2-0.
In the top of the fifth, Sheffield singled with one out and again moved to third
on Chipper Jones' base hit. Andruw Jones followed by lifting a sacrifice
fly to right, scoring Sheffield with Atlanta's third run of the game.
Ortiz, meanwhile, was fighting control problems, walking four batters in the
first three innings, but keeping the Pirates hitless until the fifth when, with
two outs, Tike Redman singled to left-center.
Ortiz helped his own cause in the sixth, with a solo home run off Torres to give
the Braves a 4-0 lead, but he ran into trouble in the bottom of the
inning. Matt Stairs singled with one out and Reggie Sanders followed with
a double to right-center, chasing Stairs to third. Jason Bay then drew
Ortiz's fifth free pass of the game, loading the bases. Ortiz retired Jose
Hernandez on an infield pop fly but Atlanta manager Bobby Cox, with lefty
swinging Rob Mackowiak due, replaced Ortiz--who had already thrown 103
pitches--with southpaw Ray King. The Pirates countered with pinch hitter
Jeff Reboulet, but King got him by inducing another pop fly to third to end the
inning.
The Braves scored their fifth and final run in the eighth off reliever Brian
Boehringer when Andruw Jones led off with a single, stole second, advanced to
third on Javy Lopez's deep fly ball and scored on Vinny Castilla's base hit.
With a 5-0 lead, the Braves appeared poised to cruise to victory as they reached
the bottom of the ninth but the Pirates wouldn't go down without a fight.
Facing reliever Jung Bong, Tike Redman led off the inning with a triple into the
right field corner and scored on Jack Wilson's grounder to short. Jason
Kendall singled to center, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then scored on
Matt Stairs' 17th home run of the year. That brought Will Cunnane into the
game for Atlanta and he retired pinch hitter Carlos Rivera and Bay easily to
earn his second save of the year.
8/29/2003, Atl03-Pit03, PNC Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Braves 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 5 9 0 9 0 2003 Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 7 0 12 1 Braves AB R H BI AVG Pirates AB R H BI AVG Furcal ss 5 1 2 1 .324 Redman,T cf 4 1 3 0 .313 Giles,M 2b 5 0 0 0 .333 Wilson,J ss 3 0 0 1 .235 Sheffield rf 3 2 1 0 .325 Kendall c 5 1 1 0 .290 Jones,C lf 4 0 2 0 .283 Stairs 1b 5 1 2 2 .310 Jones,A cf 3 1 2 2 .280 Sanders,R rf 4 0 1 0 .309 Fick 1b 3 0 0 0 .271 Boehringer p 0 0 0 0 .000 Lopez,JT c 4 0 0 0 .315 Beimel p 0 0 0 0 1.000 Castilla 3b 4 0 1 1 .259 Nunez,A ph 0 0 0 0 .269 Ortiz,Ru p 3 1 1 1 .242 Rivera,C ph 1 0 0 0 .273 King p 0 0 0 0 .000 Bay lf 2 0 0 0 .238 Marquis p 0 0 0 0 .000 Hernandez,J 3b 4 0 0 0 .259 Bragg ph 0 0 0 0 .297 Mackowiak 2b 1 0 0 0 .238 Hodges p 0 0 0 0 .000 Reboulet ph 2 0 0 0 .229 Bong p 0 0 0 0 .333 Torres,S p 2 0 0 0 .167 Cunnane p 0 0 0 0 .000 Meadows p 0 0 0 0 .083 34 5 9 5 Wilson,C ph 1 0 0 0 .264 34 3 7 3 Braves INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Ortiz,Ru W 20-2 5.2 3 0 0 5 7 103 62 2.69 King H 27 0.1 1 0 0 1 0 12 7 2.28 Marquis H 2 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 15 7 3.90 Hodges 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 17 8 6.21 Bong 0.1 3 3 3 0 0 16 12 4.60 Cunnane S 2 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 7 4 2.77 9.0 7 3 3 8 11 170 100 Pirates INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Torres,S L 4-9 5.2 7 4 4 2 5 92 62 4.99 Meadows 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 16 11 4.36 Boehringer 1.0 2 1 1 1 2 28 15 5.07 Beimel 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 19 10 6.56 9.0 9 5 5 4 8 155 98 Atl: Bragg batted for Marquis in the 8th Pit: Reboulet batted for Mackowiak in the 6th Reboulet moved to 2b in the 7th Wilson,C batted for Meadows in the 7th Wilson,C moved to rf in the 8th Nunez,A batted for Beimel in the 9th Rivera,C batted for Nunez,A in the 9th 2B-Redman,T(5), Sanders,R(29). 3B-Redman,T(2). HR-Furcal(20), Ortiz,Ru(2), Stairs(17). RBI-Furcal(70), Jones,A 2(97), Castilla(64), Ortiz,Ru(9), Wilson,J(44), Stairs 2(41). SB-Jones,A(4). K-Furcal, Giles,M 2, Jones,C, Fick, Lopez,JT, Castilla 2, Wilson,J, Kendall, Stairs, Sanders,R 2, Bay 2, Mackowiak, Torres,S 2, Reboulet. BB-Sheffield, Jones,C, Fick, Bragg, Redman,T, Wilson,J 2, Bay 3, Mackowiak, Wilson,C. SF-Jones,A. HBP-Sheffield, Jones,A. HB-Torres,S 2. WP-Bong. GWRBI: Furcal Temperature: 80, Sky: cloudy, Wind: right to left at 8 MPH. Attendance: 17,822 Game Time: 3:20