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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) -- Sore hand? What sore hand?
Brian Jordan, his right hand hurting for nearly four months, followed up a three-run homer with a two-run double in the 12th
inning, giving the Atlanta Braves a stirring 5-3 victory Friday
over the Houston Astros and command of their NL division series.
|  | | Brian Jordan watches the flight of his three-run homer in the sixth inning. |
The Braves, who escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 10th
inning, lead the best-of-5 series 2-1 and can advance to their
eighth straight LCS with a victory Saturday.
Showing they don't intend to play a fifth game Sunday, Atlanta
used both Greg Maddux and Kevin Millwood in relief, Millwood
earning his first career save with a scoreless final inning.
"I don't think I'll ever be in another game like that," Braves
manager Bobby Cox said.
"This is what I play for, what I thrive on," Jordan said. "I
thrive in the pressure."
Jordan hit Atlanta's first homer of the series in the sixth, a
three-run shot against 22-game winner Mike Hampton that erased Houston's 2-0 lead.
Then in the 12th inning, Otis Nixon, a .205 hitter during the regular season who made the postseason roster only because of his
speed, singled with one out against loser Jay Powell. Bret Boone
slapped a single to right and the runners moved up to second and
third on Chipper Jones' grounder to third.
With first base open, Houston manager Larry Dierker inexplicably
decided to pitch to Jordan, who is hitting .500 in the series. On a
1-2 pitch, Jordan sliced a double past a diving Jeff Bagwell at first, the ball settling in the right-field corner while the Braves
dugout erupted in celebration.
"He just stuck his bat out there and it rolled down the
third-base line," Dierker said, defending his decision. "That was
pretty lucky."
Millwood, who pitched a one-hitter in Game 2 on Wednesday, set
the Astros down in order to complete the four-hour, 19-minute game.
The 12 innings were a record for an NL division series game and a
crushing blow to Houston, which has never won a playoff series in
its 38-year history.
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GAME 3 AT A GLANCE
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Every game a hero
Brian Jordan continued his torrid hitting as he drove in all five of the Braves' runs, giving him seven RBI thus far in the series.
Key number
Jordan is batting .500 (6-for-12) in the series and has driven in seven of the 12 runs Atlanta has scored in the three games played.
Last word
"This is what I play for, what I thrive on. I thrive in the pressure."
-- Jordan
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"We were throwing out the entire package and it went our way,"
Cox said.
Atlanta seemed on the verge of victory in the 10th. With one
out, Gerald Williams reached on an infield single and was replaced by the pinch-runner Nixon, who stole second and went to third on
catcher Tony Eusebio's throwing error.
But Boone struck out and -- after walks to Chipper Jones and
Jordan -- Andruw Jones lined out to left with the bases loaded.
In the bottom half, Houston loaded the bases with nobody out and
the Braves brought in their closer, John Rocker, who got two
straight force outs at the plate -- the second being a game-saving
stop by Walt Weiss.
The Atlanta shortstop dove to knock down Eusebio's line
drive up the middle and threw out Ken Caminiti at home with Eddie Perez tagging the plate with only the tip of his toe.
Rocker then struck out Ricky Gutierrez, pumping his fist as he ran back to the dugout.
Atlanta struck out 18 times against Houston pitchers, a record
for the division series and all but one of them swinging. The
previous mark: 17 strikeouts by the Astros in Game 1 of their 1998
division series with San Diego.
Rocker picked up the win with two scoreless innings.
The way Hampton was pitching, it appeared Houston would move
within a game of advancing to the NL championship series. The
Astros ace cruised into the sixth with a 2-0 lead, having allowed
only three singles and striking out eight.
With Boone at second and two outs, Hampton pitched around Chipper Jones, walking him on a 3-2 pitch. On the next pitch, Jordan sent a shot deep into the left-field seats -- only his second
homer since Aug. 15.
Jordan's right hand has been aching since he was hit by a pitch
on June 22. He had only one homer in his final 139 at-bats of the
regular season.
The Astros evened the score during an excruciating seventh. The
Braves tied a division series record by using four pitchers,
including Game 1 starter Maddux, making only the sixth relief
appearance of his career.
But Houston made the best move, inserting Billy Spiers as a
pinch hitter. He came through with a run-scoring single to
left-center against Mike Remlinger.
A botched double play by Boone helped give the Astros a 2-0 lead
in the first against Tom Glavine. Caminiti singled to left,
bringing home a runner who shouldn't have been on a base. After a
fly out, Glavine walked two straight hitters, including Eusebio
with the bases loaded to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.
Glavine, who has not lost to the Astros since 1991, shut down
Houston after the opening inning. He allowed five hits, walked
three and struck out six before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the
seventh.
The entire Killer B's lineup was reunited as Derek Bell made his first appearance of the series, starting in right. Bell went
1-for-3 before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Game notes
There has yet to be a sellout in the series. The crowd of
48,625 at the Astrodome was about 6,000 short of capacity. ... The
Braves are (33-7) in postseason play this decade when they score at
least four runs. When scoring three runs or less, they are (13-30).
... Shane Reynolds, who pitched Game 1 for the Astros, starts Saturday against Atlanta's John Smoltz. It will be the first time Reynolds has worked with only three days of rest this season. ... A
young boy was injured on the first pitch in the bottom of the
second when Hampton's bat flew into the stands on a missed swing.
He was taken out with a towel draped over his head, but returned in
the top of the fifth with a bandaged forehead. ... Rocker walked in
the 11th, the first at-bat of his career, but was wiped out when
Perez bunted into a double play.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Houston Clubhouse
Astros struggle for answers after emotional loss
RECAPS
Atlanta 5
Houston 3
NY Mets 9
Arizona 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Brian Jordan talks about his game-winning hit.
wav: 185 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jordan welcomes the challenge of hitting behind Chipper Jones.
wav: 133 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Walt Weiss describes his game-saving play.
wav: 103 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Larry Dierker knows his team missed many opportunities.
wav: 88 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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