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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) -- With a possible matchup looming in the
postseason, the St. Louis Cardinals picked a good time to show they
can beat the Atlanta Braves.
Darryl Kile pitched an eight-hitter and the NL Central-leading
Cardinals scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings,
beating Atlanta 7-2 Sunday for their first series victory at Turner
Field since it opened in 1997.
|  | | Mike Methany singled to drive in two runs then scored himself in the seventh inning Sunday as the Cardinals beat the Braves 7-2. |
St. Louis took three of four games in Atlanta and won the season
series 4-3, the first time that has happened since 1994.
"We're just trying to win the series we're playing and stay in
first place," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "But that
does add a little icing on the cake."
The Braves' lead in the East dropped to one game over the New
York Mets, who beat Arizona 2-1. It's the smallest margin since
July 1, when Atlanta also led by a game.
"The Mets have been playing incredible since the All-Star
game," said Mike Remlinger, part of a bullpen that was pounded by
the Cardinals. "I'm not as concerned with what they're doing as
much as what we're doing."
St. Louis, which won its fifth straight series, increased its
Central lead to 8½ games over Cincinnati, which was beaten at
Florida 7-6.
The Braves, going for their ninth straight division
championship, have held at least a share of first place since April
19.
"You have to focus on your own game," said Atlanta starter
John Burkett, who gave up just two hits in six innings and left
with a 2-1 lead. "You can't wonder whether someone else won or
lost."
The first pitch was delayed 2 hours, 32 minutes by rain, marking
the second time in the series that a game was held up more than two
hours because of the weather.
Once it started, Burkett was perfect through three innings and
gave up his only run on an infield hit.
"I'm more and more impressed with him every time he goes out,"
Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said.
But the Atlanta relievers were awful. Kerry Ligtenberg (2-3)
lost the lead by surrendering three runs in the seventh, including
a two-run double by Placido Polanco. The next inning, Remlinger
gave up Mike Matheny's two-run single before Polanco followed with
another double, driving in his third run of the game.
"We're playing about as bad as we've played all year,"
Remlinger said. "We have to show the rest of the league we're not
slipping."
Kile (15-9) needed only 102 pitches for his fourth complete game
of the season. He also became St. Louis' second 15-game winner, a
day after Garrett Stephenson got there first.
"They probably missed a couple of pitches they should have hit
hard," Kile said. "And the ones they did hit hard were right at
somebody."
The Braves jumped ahead 2-0 in the third, thanks to a pair of
perfectly placed hits. Walt Weiss doubled to the gap in
right-center, the ball dropping between Jim Edmonds and J.D. Drew.
Then, Burkett beat out a broken-bat blooper that just cleared the
infield dirt before it was fielded by second baseman Fernando Vina.
Burkett's hit scored Reggie Sanders from third, giving the
Atlanta pitcher his first RBI since 1996. Rafael Furcal followed
with a sacrifice fly that brought home Weiss.
But Kile escaped twice when the Braves put runners at second and
third with one out. In the fifth, Furcal struck out and B.J.
Surhoff flied out. In the eighth, Chipper Jones lined out to third
and pinch-hitter Bobby Bonilla ended Atlanta's last hurrah with a
grounder.
Burkett plunked Vina with a pitch leading off the fourth and it
wound up costing the Atlanta starter his only run. Vina moved to
third with two outs and scored when Craig Paquette barely beat out
a slow roller between the mound and third-base line.
Game notes
Braves CF Andruw Jones didn't play, ending a 301-game
streak that was second-longest in the majors behind Sammy Sosa.
.... Cardinals C Carlos Hernandez left the game in the fifth inning
with a lower back sprain. He is likely to go on the disabled list.
... Burkett's RBI was his first since May 3, 1996, when he played
for Florida. He spent the past three years in the American League.
... St. Louis had seven hits over the final three innings against
Ligtenberg, Remlinger and Gabe Molina.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
St. Louis Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
RECAPS
Baltimore 3
Tampa Bay 2
Kansas City 11
Boston 7
Minnesota 7
Detroit 6
NY Yankees 7
Oakland 5
Chi. White Sox 2
Seattle 1
Anaheim 10
Cleveland 9
Toronto 6
Texas 4
St. Louis 7
Atlanta 2
NY Mets 2
Arizona 1
Houston 7
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 2
San Francisco 1
Colorado 9
Pittsburgh 2
San Diego 2
Milwaukee 1
Los Angeles 7
Chicago Cubs 6
Florida 7
Cincinnati 6
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