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Four-gedaboudit! Andruw ties record as Braves snap Mets' winning streakPosted: Tuesday September 10, 2002 9:50 PMUpdated: Tuesday September 10, 2002 11:50 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- Just because they've already clinched the NL East, the Atlanta Braves don't have to stop beating up on the New York Mets. A day after wrapping up their 11th straight division title, the Braves overcame a five-run deficit for a 12-6 victory over New York on Tuesday night behind two homers from Andruw Jones and five RBIs from pinch-hitters. Jones homered in four straight at-bats, going back to Saturday's game against Montreal. He became only the 11th player in NL history to accomplish the feat. Trey Hodges (1-0) earned the win in his big league debut. Mets starter Pedro Astacio (12-9) gave up four homers and was ejected in the fifth inning after he plunked Gary Sheffield in the arm with a pitch. The Braves, who have baseball's best record, missed a chance to clinch themselves by losing Sunday to Montreal. They were idle Monday when the Mets defeated Philadelphia, handing the Braves another division championship.
The team noted the accomplishment before the game, showing season highlights on the video board and unveiling a 2002 pennant alongside the 10 others that have been won since 1991. New York's Roger Cedeno dampened the mood on the first pitch of the game, homering into the center-field seats against Damian Moss. Moss gave up four more runs in the second, including a mammoth homer by Mike Piazza. The left-hander was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom half, leaving him with the shortest start of his career. Moss might have escaped the second without any damage if Chipper Jones had not lost a flyball in the lights, giving Joe McEwing a leadoff double. Moss retired the next two hitters, but Cedeno and Raul Gonzalez followed with run-scoring singles and Piazza hit a 434-foot drive into the left-field seats for his 28th homer, a two-run shot. Chipper Jones picked up that hit right away, looking skyward to follow the flight of the ball without moving a step. But the Braves responded as if they were mad at the Mets for taking away their chance to celebrate on the field. Atlanta put up three runs in the second. Andruw Jones homered and pinch-hitter Keith Lockhart hit a two-out, two-run double. Edgardo Alfonzo drove in a run against Hodges in the fourth, giving the Mets a 6-3 lead, but the Braves tied it with three solo homers in the bottom half. Jones led off with his second homer of the night and 31st of the season. Before the inning was over, Mark DeRosa and Henry Blanco also went deep. After Julio Franco led off the fifth with a single, Astacio hit Sheffield in the left arm with a fastball. Plate umpire Tony Randazzo immediately tossed the right-hander. Sheffield, glaring toward the mound, was steered to first base before a brawl could break out. Chipper Jones singled to load the bases and Andruw Jones singled in two runs, ending his homer streak but putting the Braves ahead to stay. Pinch-hitter Matt Franco broke the game open with a three-run triple, and Rafael Furcal followed with an RBI triple. Andruw Jones homered in his first two at-bats against Montreal on Saturday, then was hit in the helmet with a pitch from Tomo Ohka. Jones left that game and didn't play Sunday because of puffiness around his left eye and cheek. He returned to the lineup Tuesday. Shawn Green of Los Angeles hit four homers in a row earlier this season.
Notes: Astacio was the second pitcher in three games to be ejected for throwing at the Braves. Ohka was tossed Saturday. ... Cedeno hit the fourth leadoff homer of his career. ... DeRosa entered after Marcus Giles bruised his left collarbone trying to catch an errant throw in the second.
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