By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Prado leads Braves past Phillies
Jurrjens took a perfect game into the sixth inning
0514Braves
Martin Prado hits a lead-off home run for the Braves in Saturday's win against the Philadelphia Phillies. - photo by Associated Press

ATLANTA - Martin Prado is on a roll, and that means good things for the Atlanta Braves.

Prado homered and drove in three runs, Jair Jurrjens took a perfect game into the sixth inning and Atlanta beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Saturday.

Prado is 12 for 27 (.444) with three homers - one a grand slam - and eight RBIs in his last six games.

"I think we know who the player of the week is going to be this week," said Atlanta's Chipper Jones, who called Prado's surge "typical Prado."

"When he gets it going right, roll with it," Jones said.

Prado, who was hitting .238 on April 26, has raised his average to .295. He has six homers and 27 RBIs to match Jones for the team lead.

Prado added a two-run single in the sixth inning against Philadelphia.

Jurrjens (5-0) beat the Phillies for the second time in a week, following a 5-2 win in Philadelphia on May 8. He gave up three hits and three runs, two earned, in 7 1/3 innings.

Jurrjens, who opened the season on the disabled list with a right oblique strain, has not allowed more than two earned runs in six starts.

He retired Philadelphia's first 17 batters and said he couldn't help but think about the possibility for a perfect game or no-hitter.

"You walk out there and you see zero and zero, if somebody says they're not thinking about it, they're lying," Jurrjens said.
Jurrjens has a 1.66 ERA.

"He's been good every outing," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Prado and Nate McLouth hit back-to-back homers in the first inning for the only runs allowed by Joe Blanton (1-2) in five innings.

Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino was 0 for 3, ending his 15-game hitting streak. He left the game in the eighth with a sore right hamstring and will not play in Sunday's final game of the series, according to manager Charlie Manuel.

"We've got guys falling like flies," Manuel said.

The Phillies do not believe Victorino's injury will force him to the disabled list.

Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his ninth save.

Prado, Atlanta's leadoff hitter, pulled Blanton's second pitch of the game into the left-field seats. Only three pitches late, McLouth cleared the center-field wall to give the Braves back-to-back home runs for the first time this season.

The 2-0 lead stood until the sixth, when pinch-hitter Michael Martinez ended Jurrjens' perfect game with a two-out single to right field. Jimmy Rollins followed with a run-scoring double but was caught in a run-down between second and third to end the inning.

Jurrjens was backed by the Braves' strong defense. In the sixth, Wilson Valdez hit a grounder off Jurrjens' foot that bounced toward second base. Dan Uggla made the barehanded scoop and threw out Valdez at first.

Ryan Howard hit a long drive off Jurrjens in the seventh, but McLouth made a running catch at the wall in center field to end the inning.
A controversial call by second-base umpire Gary Darling helped the Braves score three runs in the sixth. J.C. Romero issued a one-out walk to Uggla before Freddie Freeman hit a grounder that Rollins fielded at shortstop while running toward third base. He threw to second base, and Darling called Uggla safe.

Manuel came out of the dugout to argue that Rollins' throw beat Uggla to the bag. Freeman was credited with an infield hit.

"He was totally out," Manuel said. "Not even close. I can't believe he didn't see it because he's standing right there. He had a tremendous view of it."

Darling's call proved crucial when Uggla scored from third on a two-out squeeze by David Ross against Kyle Kendrick, who slipped while attempting to field the ball. Ross, credited with a hit, moved to second when Kendrick walked Jurrjens. Prado followed with a two-run single to center for a 5-1 lead.

The Phillies scored two runs in the eighth. Raul Ibanez walked and scored on a double by Valdez, who moved to third on a passed ball by David Ross and scored on pinch-hitter John Mayberry's groundout.

Each team wore Negro Leagues throwback uniforms - Atlanta Black Crackers and Philadelphia Stars - as part of the Civil Rights Game weekend.
For Sunday's Civil Rights Game at Turner Field, the teams will wear throwback uniforms from 1974, the year Atlanta's Hank Aaron broke Babe

Ruth's career record with his 715th home run.

NOTES: Jurrjens struck out six and issued one walk. ... Braves RF Jason Heyward missed his fourth straight start with inflammation in his right shoulder but entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth. ... RHP Brandon Beachy was examined by a team doctor for an oblique injury he sustained Friday night. The rookie likely will be placed on the DL. ... The Braves plan to recall RHP Scott Proctor from Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. The move was planned before Beachy's injury.

 

Regional events