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The Tomahawk Times - Jurrjens throws gem as Braves sweep away Dodgers, 6-1
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ATLANTA -- There is an old addage that says good pitching and timely hitting wins baseball games. It was certainly the case on Sunday at Turner Field, as the Atlanta Braves recieved a strong pitching performance from Jair Jurrjens and some timely offensive support from Mark Teixeira to secure a 6-1 win and complete a weekend sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jurrjens (2-2) was locked in a pitching duel with Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda (1-2) for the first six innings of the game. Down 2-1, the Dodgers lifted Kuroda after a six inning 118-pitch performance. Jurrjens outlasted Kuroda, using 114-pitches to limit the Dodgers to just three hits and a run. The young righty also set a career-high with eight strikeouts.
The Braves picked up some late insurance with some two-out magic in the eighth inning. Martin Prado, who was robbed by a diving Andre Ethier to end the sixth, stroked a run-scoring triple over the head of Ethier this time around to make 3-1.
Mark Teixeira promptly belted his fourth homer of the season into right off Scott Proctor to tack on two more runs. With Jeff Francoeur at second with a double, Mark Kotsay singled to give Atlanta four-run frame and a 6-1 lead.
Over the course of the series against Los Angeles, Teixeira went 6-for-13 with three runs scored, a homer and five RBI. His 3-for-4 day at the plate on Sunday boosted his average to .250 this season.
Chipper Jones was forced to leave the game in the sixth inning after reaggravating his right quadriceps muscle. The injury was originally suffered in Colorado on the recently completed roadtrip. Jones is questionable for Monday's game but is not expected to be sidelined for any extended period of time.
Sunday's 6-1 victory is the fourth straight for Atlanta, who have limited opponents to just three runs on the current four-game winning streak. The Braves sweep also brings the club back to the .500 mark with an even 9-9 record on the season. Atlanta now stands in third place in the National League East, just two games behind the first place New York Mets.
On Deck: The Braves will host the Washington Nationals for a brief two game set starting Monday. Tim Hudson will look to rebound from his last start. The Nationals will counter with Matt Chico. Game time is set for 7:10 PM EST.
