Baseball

Mets can't stop Chipper

ATLANTA - Chipper Jones can't really explain his success against the New York Mets. He just hopes the hits keep coming.

"I respect that organization and the players over there," said Jones, who hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning of the Braves' 4-2 victory Monday.

"It just so happens that when we play each other a lot late in the season over the last few years, I've had some pretty meaningful hits," said Jones, who had three RBIs.

Andruw Jones hit his major-league-leading 45th homer for the Braves, who improved to 49-20 against the Mets at Turner Field, 5-1 this season. Atlanta estimated his home run went 452 feet, sixth longest at Turner Field and the longest by a Brave.

Chipper Jones thinks his teammate should win the NL MVP award.

"I think he's a landslide winner," he said. "You're talking about a guy who plays Gold Glove defense, the best centerfielder in the game, bar none. Everybody's just been waiting for him to turn the corner offensively, and now he's done that."

Chipper Jones hit a run-scoring double that tied the score in the first and homered against former Devil Ray Steve Trachsel. Jones has 34 homers against the Mets, second among active players to Barry Bonds' 35. He also has a .337 career average in 531 at-bats against New York with 102 RBIs.

Chipper and Andruw Jones homered in the same game for the 48th time, most among active teammates.

New York has lost five of six and seven of nine after going 9-2 from Aug.19-26.

Andruw Jones' homer gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the fourth, but New York tied the score in the eighth when David Wright tagged up at third and beat Jones' throw from center to give Ramon Castro a sacrifice fly against Blaine Boyer. The rookie right-hander had pitched 152/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

ASTROS 4, PHILLIES 3: Andy Pettitte pitched 52/3 shutout innings, Lance Berkman hit a three-run homer and visiting Houston moved into the wild-card lead.

The Astros moved a half-game ahead of Philadelphia and one ahead of Florida with their 10th straight win over the Phillies.

Pettitte allowed three hits, struck out five and walked none. Former Devil Ray Dan Wheeler escaped a jam with the bases loaded in the seventh, and Brad Lidge pitched the ninth for his 33rd save, although he gave up a run and had the winning run at second before getting the final out.

NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 2: Livan Hernandez didn't allow a hit until the fifth, took a shutout into the ninth and drove in a run with one of his two singles, leading host Washington. The Nationals won their third straight, all against clubs ahead of them in the tight wild-card standings. Hernandez left after allowing Miguel Cabrera's 29th homer, a two-run shot with no outs in the ninth.

CARDINALS 6, CUBS 4: Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth for host St. Louis. Jeff Suppan didn't allow an earned run in six innings, and five relievers finished as the Cardinals stopped Chicago's three-game winning streak.

GIANTS 3, DODGERS 1: Julio Ramirez scored the go-ahead run on third baseman Mike Edwards' throwing error in the eighth, helping visiting San Francisco win its sixth straight. The second-place Giants trail San Diego by five games in the West.

BREWERS 6, REDS 1: J.J. Hardy singled with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to drive in the go-ahead run, and Geoff Jenkins tied his career high with five hits to back Tomo Ohka's seven efficient innings for visiting Milwaukee.

[Last modified September 6, 2005, 03:15:21]