ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Andruw Jones scored the go-ahead run on Jason Grimsley 's wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Atlanta Braves rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals .

Jones drove in the first two runs for the Braves, who avoided their fourth three-game slide of the season.

Dennys Reyes held the Braves to two runs in a career-high seven-plus innings, but left after walking Rafael Furcal to start the eighth.

The move backfired as Jones tied the game with an RBI single off Grimsley (3-3) after Nick Green sacrificed. Grimsley has allowed 10 of 24 inherited runners to score this season.

"(The Braves) played good baseball in the eighth inning," Reyes said. "That (walk) hurt me. I was not trying to give up a walk."

Chipper Jones , playing third base for the first time since October 21, 2001, reached on first baseman Mike Sweeney 's error, putting runners on first and second. The runners advanced on Johnny Estrada 's groundout.

Grimsley got ahead against Julio Franco 1-2 before Franco extended the at-bat by fouling off the next two pitches. Grimsley bounced the sixth pitch of the at-bat in the dirt, allowing Andruw Jones to race home.

"Julio's tough in that situation," Braves manager Bobby Cox . "He really makes a pitcher battle. You have to really work to get him out."

"(Grimsley) is filthy," Franco added. "When you face a guy like that, you have to get a pitch to hit. You have to concentrate."

Chris Reitsma (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning in relief of Russ Ortiz , who surrendered two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

John Smoltz tossed the ninth for his 10th save.

The Royals opened up 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Ken Harvey . Carlos Beltran , who ran past a stop sign, redeemed himself by making a strong slide to the outside of the plate to avoid Estrada's tag.

The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by Andruw Jones .

The Royals took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but squandered an opportunity to extend the lead. Ken Harvey led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout.

Joe Randa grounded a single - his 1,000th hit as a Royal - down the right field line, but Harvey was thrown out at the plate by right fielder J.D. Drew. Randa later scored the go-ahead run on Angel Berroa 's bases-loaded single.

"We did the little things we needed to do," Green said. "Russ kept us in the game, that's all you can ask from him."

The Royals fell a season-high 15 games under .500 for the third time this season.