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  Saturday, Aug. 19 4:05pm ET
Giants rip Braves for sixth win in row
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Ellis Burks still wasn't feeling well.

Scratched from Friday night's lineup with a pounding headache and a swollen throat, he nonetheless wanted to play Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.

Ellis Burks
Ellis Burks made the Braves sick on Saturday by hitting two homers and driving in four runs.

After convincing the trainers he was OK, Burks hit two homers and drove in four runs as the San Francisco Giants beat Atlanta 12-3 for their sixth straight victory.

"I woke up this morning not feeling as strong as I usually do -- but good enough to play," he said. "And I'm glad I did."

With the Braves leading 3-2 in the sixth, Barry Bonds was hit by a pitch, went to third on Jeff Kent's single and scored when J.T. Snow's popup to left was lost in the sun by B.J. Surhoff for a single.

Burks drove in Kent and Snow with a shot off Andy Ashby (9-9) that sailed over the left-field fence.

Burks added a solo homer, his 16th, in a five-run eighth. Rich Aurilia and Bobby Estalella followed with singles, Armando Rios hit a two-run double, Marvin Benard had an RBI triple and Felipe Crespo had a sacrifice fly.

"I don't think they wanted me to play today," Burks said. "I had to talk the trainers into letting me go."

Javy Lopez hit his 20th homer of the season, a solo shot off Russ Ortiz (9-10), to lead off the fifth inning to give the Braves the 3-2 lead. Lopez also had an RBI single in the second.

Ortiz won his fourth straight start, going 6 2/3 innings with two earned runs on six hits, a strikeout and three walks.

The Giants tied it at 2 in the fourth on a play that got Braves manager Bobby Cox thrown out of the game.

With two outs, Snow doubled and Burks grounded to Ashby. But on the throw to first, the ball got away from Andres Galarraga, who then complained that Burks was running inside the baseline.

Snow scored, Burks advanced to second and the play was ruled an error on Galarraga, which brought Cox out of the dugout. After a heated exchange, Cox was tossed by home plate umpire Charlie Reliford.

It was the fifth time this season that Cox has been ejected from a game. The last time was July 4 against Montreal.

The Braves, held scoreless Friday night, went up 1-0 in the first inning when Andruw Jones tripled and scored on Chipper Jones' sacrifice fly.

With one out in the second, Brian Jordan singled, stole second and went to third on catcher Estalella's throwing error, and scored on Lopez's single.

Estalella hit a solo home run in the third inning to make it 2-1. It was his 13th homer of the season.

Kent added a solo home run, his 28th, in the seventh.

Ortiz had not lost a game since July 29 in Chicago. Going into Saturday's game, he had not allowed a run in 19 2/3 innings dating back to his Aug. 3 start against Pittsburgh.

Ashby went 5 1/3 innings allowing five earned runs on six hits with no strikeouts and a pair of walks.

"I'm a ground-ball pitcher and they were hitting flies all day," Ashby lamented.

Cox said the ball that Surhoff lost in the sun was Atlanta's undoing.

"I was walking out there the first day we got here, and I knew it could be trouble," Cox said about the outfield at the Giants' new ballpark.

Game notes
After Friday night's game, the Giants activated Joe Nathan from the disabled list and optioned Miguel Del Toro to Triple-A Fresno. Manager Dusty Baker said before Saturday's game that Nathan would be used in long relief. ... Cox is four wins away from tying Tommy Lasorda on the all-time list for a manager. Lasorda has 1,559 wins. ... Andruw Jones is the only major leaguer to have played in every inning of every game this season.
 


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 Despite the loss, Brian Jordan and the Braves are confident they will turn things around.
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