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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) -- Greg Maddux is getting used to pitching after
giving up five runs in the first inning.
Maddux got hammered in the first inning for the second straight
start, but the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat the Houston Astros
8-6 Saturday night to move back into first place in the NL East.
|  | | Braves starter Greg Maddux fires a pitch in the first inning against the Astros on Saturday -- an inning in which he allowed five runs. But he settled down and won his 15th game. |
"Sometimes this game makes you look better than you are and
sometimes it make you look worse than you are," said Maddux, who
gave up five runs in the first for the fourth time in his career
and second consecutive start. "After the first inning, I just
figured you take your medicine and see how long you can last."
The win, combined with the Mets' 2-1 loss to St. Louis earlier
in the day, lifted the Braves back into first place in the NL East
by a half game.
"Two starts like that wouldn't happen in a billion years to a
guy like him," manager Bobby Cox said. "But it happened and that
just shows you how crazy a game this is. It also shows you how tough he is to hang in there and keep
his composure."
Maddux (15-8) gave up five runs in the first inning, but settled
down and lasted 7 1-3 innings. Maddux, who lost five of his
previous eight starts, allowed six runs on 10 hits, struck out
eight and walked only one.
"My arm felt good and my legs were strong from the start," he
said. "They just hit the ball. I threw about four bad pitches and
they hit doubles and home runs. I would have liked for one of them
to maybe be hit at somebody, but it didn't happen."
Pinch-hitter Bobby Bonilla hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the
eighth inning off reliever Octavio Dotel.
"I played with him in New York last year," Bonilla said. "He
rushed it up there in on me last night so tonight I was just up
there to swing."
It was Dotel's third blown save in 14 opportunities. "If you put Dotel in that situation, he'd probably get him out
eight out of 10 times," manager Larry Dierker said. "He had him
where he wanted him at first when it was 0-2 but then he got
himself into a position (2-2) where he had to throw a strike."
John Rocker pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 20
chances. Scott Elarton (15-5), who won 11 of his previous 12 decisions,
allowed seven runs, seven hits and six walks in 7 2-3 innings. He
struck out eight.
"It was definitely a tough loss but it was a fun game to pitch
in," Elarton said. "I felt I got stronger as the game went on.
You have to tip your hat to the Braves. They definitely battled."
Rafael Furcal hit his first major league home run leading off
the ninth against Jose Cabrera for the final run. Moises Alou hit a career-high three doubles, drove in two runs
and scored two for Houston.
In the first inning, Andruw Jones' 31st home run cleared the
tracks high above left field and would have gone out if the Enron
Field roof was retracted.
Jordan's bases-loaded double to the right-field corner then
drove in Chipper Jones and B.J. Surhoff for a 3-0 lead. Houston answered with five runs in the bottom of the first as
Richard Hidalgo's broken bat single to left drove in Bill Spiers
from third. Alou then doubled to left center to drive in Jeff
Bagwell and Hidalgo, tying the score 3-3.
Mitch Meluskey's 12th home run drove in Alou and gave Houston a
5-3 lead. Alou scored from third on Julio Lugo's infield grounder to
stretch the lead to 6-3 in the third inning. Andruw Jones' double to right center drove in Paul Bako and
Furcal to close the gap to 6-5 in the fourth inning.
Game notes
With his run scored in the first inning, Bagwell became
only the 17th major leaguer to score 500 runs over a four-year
period and only the third since 1950. The other two most recent
players to accomplish the feat were Mickey Mantle (1954-57 and
1955-58) and Craig Biggio (1995-98 and 1996-99). ... Meluskey is
only the eighth Astros rookie to hit 10 or more home runs and the
first since Bagwell (15) and Luis Gonzalez (13) both did it in
1991. ... Andruw Jones tied his career high for home runs. He also
had 31 in 1998. ... The crowd of 43,189 was the 24th sellout of the
year and the largest crowd at Enron Field.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Houston Clubhouse
Kile tosses gem as Cards rally past Mets again
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