Staff Reports

San Francisco, Ca. - The Braves needed a win, down 2-0 in their series against the San Francisco Giants.  Boy, did they get it.  Atlanta’s Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, and Juan Francisco all homered to give the Braves a 7-1 win.  Martin Prado and Brian McCann picked up RBI’s to help with the win.

“It’s good to salvage a series going down 0-2 against a team that’s hot,” McCann told ESPN.

The Giants may be hot, but the Braves are not, having barely avoided sweeps in their last two series and losing group in the National League East to the Washington Nationals, only making up the difference because of Washington’s own skid.  Still, Atlanta’s happy to pick up the win.

Atlanta did catch a lucky break though.  That break is how just Jason Heyward seems to love AT&T Park.  Heyward is hitting .395 (15 for 38) there with six homers and 12 RBIs…in just ten games.

Braves’ starter Tim Hudson gave up just five hits in seven innings, allowing just one walk and striking out three as he beat the Giants for the third straight time.  “We were fortunate to get a couple of runs early and I was able to throw strikes,” Hudson said. “You don’t exactly see very well from a hitter’s point of view and you have to pound the zone.”  Hudson picked up his 13th win of the season, against just four losses.

By contrast, Tim Lincecum (7-14) only lasted five innings, allowing three runs and seven hits and giving up two walks.

“I was fighting myself a lot in that first inning to find a rhythm,” Lincecum told ESPN. “My rhythm was just off in the first inning. I kind of got it back the next four innings but that was it. I was just getting behind batters 2-0 on pretty much everybody and wasn’t really attacking the zone.”

Retiring shortstop Chipper Jones received a standing ovation in what may well be his final appearance in San Francisco. “Chipper is one of those guys around the majors that people respect,” Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “It’s nice to have San Francisco fans recognize an opponent.”

Atlanta is now 73-55 and four games back of the Nationals.