No match for Maddux

Without Sosa again, Cubs' bats silent in 2-0 loss to Braves

Braves starter Greg Maddux dominated a Cubs lineup that lacked Sammy Sosa. AP

ATLANTA (AP) -- Greg Maddux had perhaps his best start of the season, John Smoltz picked up his 17th straight save and the Atlanta Braves kept the best record in the major leagues.

What better way to head to the All-Star break?

Maddux pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed just three hits as the Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 Sunday.

"It's an enjoyable way to end the first half," Smoltz said. "On one hand, you want to keep playing, but on the other hand, it'll be nice to get a few days off."

The Cubs, playing their second game for interim manager Bruce Kimm, were without Sammy Sosa for the third straight game because of a family emergency.

The Braves won for the 15th time in 18 games, and won their 13th straight series.

"You want to win each series," manager Bobby Cox said. "It's been a great run. We know darn good and well there's 80-some games left."

Going on three days rest, Maddux (8-2) got 11 groundball outs and threw just 82 pitches before turning the game over to Chris Hammond, who pitched a scoreless eighth. John Smoltz pitched a perfect ninth for his 31st save in 34 chances.

Maddux, 18-6 in 33 starts pitching on three days rest, took the mound in place of Damian Moss, who was moved to the bullpen Saturday in case Tom Glavine had problems with the blister on his index finger. Moss pitched an inning in relief in the Braves' 7-3 loss.

"I felt good, I felt like I was in control," Maddux said. "I was ready to pitch. I'm lucky enough to play for a manager who will give you these opportunities. I didn't want to sit around and wait."

Jon Lieber (6-6) nearly matched Maddux, giving up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits in seven innings.

"It was a great game," Lieber said. "Every time I've gone head-to-head with him, it's been a game like this. I knew it was going to be a battle. If you're going to get to him, it has to be early."

Atlanta left fielder Chipper Jones, who's in a 4-for-37 slump, missed his first game of the season with a bruised knee. He was hit by a pitch from Carlos Zambrano in the third inning of Saturday night's game and left in the seventh.

Darren Bragg started in left field Sunday, and first baseman Matt Franco took Jones' No. 4 spot in the batting order.

It's the third time this season Jones hasn't started, but he had pinch-hit in the other two games. He was on-deck to bat for Maddux in the seventh, but was pulled back after Henry Blanco's RBI single.

The Braves scored an unearned run in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. Franco singled up the middle, then moved to third when first baseman Fred McGriff misplayed a grounder by Andruw Jones. After Vinny Castilla popped out to short center, Keith Lockhart brought Franco home with a sacrifice fly to right.

In the seventh, Castilla led off with a double and scored on Blanco's liner to right field over a drawn-in infield.

The Cubs threatened in the sixth when Joe Girardi doubled and moved to third on Lieber's groundout. But Maddux struck out Darren Lewis looking and, after walking Bill Mueller, got Angel Echevarria to ground into a forceout.

Lewis was particularly unhappy with umpire Mark Carlson after his strikeout, which came on a 3-2 fastball on the outside corner.

"The pitch to me was outside," he said. "He made the same pitch to me earlier in the at-bat and he called it a ball."

It was Maddux's longest outing since he went seven innings against Texas on June 10. He had been bothered by a sore calf but looked healthy Sunday, legging out an infield hit in the third and nearly doing it again in the fifth.

"I'm not fast," Maddux said. "I don't expect that to happen very often. My leg feels good. I'm able to run hard, just not fast."

Chicago put a runner on third in the seventh without getting the ball out of the infield. Chris Stynes hit a grounder to Furcal, but Franco couldn't handle Furcal's low throw. When Stynes wandered off the bag, Maddux threw wild to first, a one-hopper that bounced into the stands, and Stynes was given third.

But Maddux struck out Alex Gonzalez to end the inning.

"We couldn't get to Maddux," Kimm said. "He's done that numerous times."

Notes: Furcal went hitless, ending his career-high 15-game hitting streak. ... Chicago LF Moises Alou hit two grounders down the line at third in his first two at-bats, but Castilla fielded both and narrowly threw out Alou. ... After the All-Star break, the Cubs return home to Wrigley Field for 18 of their next 23 games.

 

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