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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Braves shut down Yankees, 4-0


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Atlanta rookie pitcher Tommy Hanson allowed three hits over 5 1/3 innings to win his third straight start as the Braves handed the New York Yankees their third loss in a row.

JOHN BAZEMORE | Associated Press

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ATLANTA — As Atlanta rookie Tommy Hanson kept pitching out of jams, his confidence kept growing against the New York Yankees.

"I was pumped up to throw against those guys and stuff like that, but really with the walks, it's something I've never experienced before," Hanson said. "I know what I'm doing wrong, and I've just got to correct it and slow myself down."

Hanson won his third straight start and Brian McCann had two RBIs, including a solo homer, as Atlanta threw consecutive shutouts for the first time in four years with a 4-0 victory last night.

New York managed just four hits and left 12 runners on base as Chien-Ming Wang (0-6) lost his sixth straight start.

In the Yankees' first visit to Turner Field since 2000, Atlanta's pitching staff combined for its first consecutive shutouts since June 21-22, 2005, when it beat Florida by a combined 13-0 score.

New York has lost three straight and four of six.

"It's hard to win when you get only four hits," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We're just not swinging the bats."

Hanson (3-0) allowed four hits and five walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who has pitched 13 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, left the bases loaded in the second and fourth and stranded two runners in scoring position in the third.

"He can do that because he's a strikeout guy," said McCann, the Braves' catcher. "If he walks a couple of guys here and there, he's got the stuff to get out of it. He never lost his composure."

Hanson, the former top prospect in Atlanta's organization, left to a standing ovation with one out in the sixth as Braves manager Bobby Cox brought in Peter Moylan to face Derek Jeter with runners on first and second.

Jeter, the career interleague leader in hits, at-bats and runs scored, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Moylan combined with Mike Gonzalez to retire six straight batters in the seventh and eighth innings. Rafael Soriano faced four in the ninth to help the Braves win their second straight and fourth in the last sixth.

PHILLIES 10, RAYS 1:

Chase Utley homered and drove in four runs, and Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer in support of Jamie Moyer (5-6) as visiting Philadelphia routed Tampa Bay in the first regular season meeting between the teams since last year's World Series.

RED SOX 11, NATIONALS 3:

Jason Bay had four hits, including his 19th homer and a two-run single, and Jacoby Ellsbury had the first two-triple game of his career and two singles as visiting Boston beat Washington.

ROYALS 2, ASTROS 1:

Zack Greinke (9-3) allowed a run in the first before pitching eight innings, allowing eight hits for his first win in almost a month, and Billy Butler homered as visiting Kansas City ended a five-game losing streak.

MARLINS 7, ORIOLES 6:

Jorge Cantu's single scored Emilio Bonifacio when the ball came out of catcher Gregg Zaun's glove on the tag with no outs in the bottom of the 12th inning as Florida stopped Baltimore's five-game winning streak.

INDIANS 5, PIRATES 4:

Jhonny Peralta homered and drove in three runs to support rookie David Huff's (3-2) eight shutout innings and visiting Cleveland nearly blew a 5-0 lead in the ninth before beating Pittsburgh to end a six-game slide.

BLUE JAYS 7, REDS 5:

Marco Scutaro hit a two-run homer, Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas each added solo shots and Brian Tallet (5-4) worked six shutout innings before giving up three runs in the seventh as host Toronto beat Cincinnati.

TIGERS 5, CUBS 4:

Pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as Detroit beat Chicago, which had taken a 4-3 lead on Micah Hoffpauir's two-run homer in the eighth inning off Joel Zumaya.

TWINS 7, BREWERS 3:

Joe Crede, Carlos Gomez and Brendan Harris combined to drive in six runs, all with two outs, and visiting Minnesota jumped on Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan (5-5) for seven runs and nine hits in five innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 8, RANGERS 2:

Justin Upton homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and Max Scherzer (5-4) allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings to win his third straight start as host Arizona handed Texas its fifth straight loss.

GIANTS 4, ATHLETICS 1:

Tim Lincecum (7-2) pitched a seven-hitter for his fourth career complete game, and Pablo Sandoval and Edgar Renteria each hit RBI doubles to lead visiting San Francisco past Oakland.

ANGELS 4, ROCKIES 3:

Bobby Abreu drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning after Colorado third baseman Ian Stewart messed up two bunt plays to help Los Angeles win.

PADRES 9, MARINERS 7:

Chad Gaudin tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts and allowed only two runs and four hits over seven innings, and visiting San Diego, which led 9-2 after six, held on to beat Seattle.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CARDINALS 3, METS 0:

Joel Pineiro (6-8) pitched a career-best two-hitter, recording 22 groundouts to end a five-start losing streak, and Albert Pujols smacked a two-run single to lead visiting St. Louis past New York.

After winning his first four starts this season, Pineiro had lost eight of nine. He threw 100 pitches, allowing only singles by Luis Castillo in the third and pinch-hitter Jeremy Reed in the ninth.

"It's something you feel when you go out there. When you see something is working, you stay with it," Pineiro said. "Obviously, they know you are going to throw the sinker. But if I keep it down, they can't hit it. It makes my curveball and slider better."