NL East Wrap: Chipper gives Braves win in 12th

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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Posted: 4:00 p.m.Updated: May 29, 1:39 a.m.

The Associated Press

Braves 7, Reds 6

BOX SCORE

Chipper Jones' single in the 12th inning drove in Jordan Schafer to give the Atlanta Braves a 7-6 win over the weary Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

Brian McCann had four hits, including two homers. Freddie Freeman also homered for Atlanta.

It was the second extra-inning game in four days for the Reds, who lost 5-4 in 19 innings in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Carlos Fisher (0-2) walked Schafer to lead off the 12th. Fisher, working his second inning after throwing 5 2-3 innings in Wednesday night's game, also walked Martin Prado.

The switch-hitting Jones, batting from the left side against the right-handed Fisher, pulled a pitch past second baseman Brandon Phillips into right field. The speedy Schafer easily beat Jay Bruce's throw to the plate.

The teams combined for 30 hits.

Scott Linebrink (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit and issued an intentional walk in the 12th before ending the inning on Drew Stubbs' double-play grounder.

Stubbs had three hits and drove in three runs and Jonny Gomes had four hits for Cincinnati.

Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo and Atlanta's Derek Lowe, teammates on the Boston Red Sox in 2003-04, had similarly poor starts.

Arroyo gave up nine hits -- including third-inning homers by McCann and Freeman -- and five runs. He has given up 18 runs in 12 2-3 innings over his last three starts.Marlins 6, Dodgers 1BOX SCORELOS ANGELES -- Greg Dobbs and pinch-hitter Wes Helms each drove in two runs, Gaby Sanchez doubled twice and scored twice, and the Florida Marlins beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 on Saturday night. In the middle of the fifth inning, smoke started billowing toward the field from behind the upper deck seats on the first base side, the result of a small fire in a contained storage area. The entire area was evacuated, and fans climbed the steps to the top of the ballpark to get themselves relocated. The Los Angeles Fire Department was quickly on the scene, contained the fire and had everything under control. Public address announcer Eric Smith informed the crowd of 29,971 of the situation, adding that it wasn't necessary to evacuate the entire stadium. Edward Mujica (5-2), the second of five Marlins pitchers, allowed one hit over two scoreless innings and struck out four to get the victory. The right-hander had made 16 previous appearances against the Dodgers, all in relief, giving up 16 earned runs, 18 hits, five homers and six walks in 18 innings. With Marlins ace Josh Johnson on the disabled list because of shoulder inflammation, Brian Sanches made his first major league start in the same ballpark where he made his big league debut with Philadelphia on June 1, 2006.

Padres 2, Nationals 1

BOX SCORE

WASHINGTON -- Tim Stauffer pitched seven innings for his first win of the season, Blake Tekotte had the first two hits of his major league career and the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Saturday in a matchup of baseball's weakest-hitting teams.

Stauffer (1-3) limited the Nationals to four hits and a run -- a seventh-inning homer by Laynce Nix -- to win for the first time in 11 starts. He struck out four and walked four.

Mike Adams, who threw one pitch on Friday night -- Michael Morse's game-ending homer -- pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Heath Bell worked the ninth for his 11th save.

San Diego had lost six of its previous seven.

The Padres, who came in with a .226 average -- two points lower than the Nationals -- scored three or fewer runs for the 11th straight game. The last time they did that was July 9-21, 1976.

Stauffer quickly found himself in trouble. With one out in the first, he walked three straight Nationals to load the bases. On his first pitch to Morse, Friday's hero grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Nationals, who have lost of eight of 10, had just two singles through six innings until Nix's home run. It was his seventh.

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