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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves went behind closed doors to
clear the air. When they emerged from the clubhouse, they looked
more like the team that has won eight straight division titles.
Tom Glavine pitched a three-hitter to become the NL's first
18-game winner, Andres Galarraga hit a two-run homer and the Braves
ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the
Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.
|  | | The Reds' Alex Ochoa is safe at second with a second-inning double, one of only three hits off Tom Glavine. |
The victory ended the Braves' longest losing streak of the
season and kept them tied with New York for first in the NL East.
The Mets defeated Houston 1-0.
"I don't think there was any urgency," Glavine said. "But
there was probably a little more enthusiasm than we've had the last
couple of days."
After batting practice, the clubhouse doors were closed and the
players held a rare private meeting to talk about their woes, which
included five losses on the first six games of the homestand and a
13-14 record in August.
"Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to get in there and clear the
air," Glavine said. "There's no problems. No one is mad at each
other. It's just that time of year where you've got to bear down.
You've got to overcome the fact that you're tired and overcome the
fact that you've got injuries. So does everybody else."
Braves manager Bobby Cox picked up his 1,600th victory, passing
Tommy Lasorda for 14th place on the career list.
"I forgot about it," Cox said. "Someone said something about
wins as I was coming down the tunnel. I thought Tommy had done
something."
Glavine (18-6) won for the 11th time in 12 starts -- including
four in a row -- as he closes in on the fifth 20-win season of his
career. The left-hander retired the last 11 hitters for his third
complete game of the season and 48th overall.
Glavine has become the Atlanta stopper, going 8-1 when he's
pitched after the team lost. Five of those wins have come in
August, helping to prevent the Braves' slide from being more
pronounced.
"It's a challenge," he said. "Don't get me wrong. It's nice
knowing I can go out there after a loss and turn things around. But
for morale purposes, I'd much rather be pitching in the midst of a
winning streak rather than trying to stop a losing streak."
The Reds knew they were facing a pitcher at the top of his game.
"You expect that kind of pitching from the Braves," manager
Jack McKeon said. "He was outstanding. He mixed his speeds well.
He had good control. He stopped us cold."
The Braves pounded Cincinnati starter Elmer Dessens (6-5) for 12
hits and five runs in five innings.
"He wasn't sharp with his location. He got the ball up,"
McKeon said. "If he gets the ball up, he gets murdered. But at
least he kept us close."
Chipper Jones had an RBI double in the first and Javy Lopez led
off the second with his 22nd homer, putting the Braves ahead for
good. They put the game away in the fifth after Dessens retired the
first two hitters.
B.J. Surhoff reached on an infield single and took an extra base
when second baseman Pokey Reese threw the ball into the dugout.
Galarraga followed with his 25th homer, an opposite-field drive to
the right-center bleachers.
Galarraga was stymied on his two previous at-bats. Reese made a
great diving stop on a grounder to end the first, then Surhoff was
thrown out at the plate to end the third after the Big Cat singled
to left-fielder Alex Ochoa.
"I needed a home run to get an RBI," Galarraga said with a
grin.
Cincinnati scored on Juan Castro's RBI single in the second and
Dante Bichette's sacrifice fly in the sixth. Otherwise, the Reds
hardly touched Glavine, who retired the side in order six times.
The Braves outhit Cincinnati 14-3.
Former Atlanta closer Mark Wohlers made his first appearance at
Turner Field since he was dealt to Cincinnati in April 1999 with
his career in shambles because of control problems. He pitched two
scoreless innings and didn't walk anyone.
"I was a lot more confident than I thought I'd be," Wohlers
said. "I still have a lot of friends here. I was just hoping to
get through it."
Game notes
Braves RF Brian Jordan sat out his second straight game
because of a sore right shoulder. Reggie Sanders started in his
place and made a nice diving catch on Ken Griffey Jr.'s liner to
end the third. ... John Riedling, called up Monday when Scott Williamson
went on the disabled list, made his major league debut by pitching
a scoreless eighth.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
Jordan day to day after reinjuring shoulder; Millwood to miss start
Galarraga hit with 3-game suspension, but will appeal
RECAPS
Kansas City 8
Minnesota 7
Chi. White Sox 8
Oakland 3
Tampa Bay 3
Boston 1
Baltimore 5
Detroit 1
Cleveland 5
Texas 3
Toronto 11
Anaheim 2
NY Yankees 5
Seattle 4
Chicago Cubs 5
San Diego 1
Atlanta 5
Cincinnati 2
St. Louis 4
Florida 2
Arizona 7
Montreal 0
San Francisco 2
Pittsburgh 0
NY Mets 1
Houston 0
Colorado 5
Philadelphia 4
Milwaukee 3
Los Angeles 2
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