25.04.2016, 02:47
ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves were hurting in a big way when they dropped eight straight last month to tumble to the bottom of the NL East. Chris Wondolowski Soccer Jersey . A couple weeks later, theres a whole new picture. Tommy Hanson shut down another AL East team, Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer and the Braves beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 on Saturday for their season-best sixth straight win. "Were right back where we were," Uggla said. The Braves are 8-1 since the long losing streak and trail division-leading Washington by one game. The Nationals beat the Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday. "Weve been playing good baseball," Uggla said. "Were grinding out at-bats, playing better defence and our pitchers have been outstanding. If we stay consistent like we have been the last week or so, well be all right." Braves rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons hit his first career homer off Drew Hutchison (5-3) in the seventh. Michael Bourn had three hits. Hanson (7-4) improved to 6-0 in six career starts against teams from the AL East, including a win at Tampa Bay on May 18. He gave up two runs and five hits in eight innings while improving to 7-2 in interleague play overall. "I felt strong the entire time," Hanson said following his longest start of the season. Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer in the sixth, the only inning the Blue Jays had a runner reach third base. Toronto has lost three straight, including the first two games of the series. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his NL-leading 18th save in 19 chances. Atlanta helped Hanson with a couple of nice plays in the field. Jason Heyward made a diving catch in right to take a hit away from McCoy in the seventh, and third baseman Martin Prado made a diving stop on Encarnacions sharp grounder in the fourth. "It was a lot of fun to watch," Hanson said. The Blue Jays also were impressed. "Prados a heck of a player at third base," Toronto manager John Farrell said. "Not just today but yesterday, makes a couple of diving plays to his backhand side. "They played a very solid game." Uggla connected against Hutchison in the third, hitting a drive to centre for his 11th homer. Bourn reached on a one-out single and Brian McCann walked with two down before Uggla went deep. Hutchison, a 21-year-old rookie making his first interleague start, gave up five runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings. Farrell said Hutchison was hurt by the homers by Uggla and Simmons. "I thought today Drew pitched as consistent as hes been the last three or four times out," Farrell said. "Two pitches found the middle of the plate. "He pitched with conviction. I thought he commanded the baseball, with the exception of those two pitches, as weve seen." Hutchison dropped to 2-3 with a 6.47 ERA in six road starts this season. "No, Im not satisfied with it," Hutchison said. "I put us in a hole early we had to come back from when I put us in a bigger hole and put it out of reach." Simmons, playing in only his second home game, led off the seventh with his first homer. He was given the silent treatment for a few seconds before he was swarmed by his teammates in the dugout. "I saw the guys sitting down," Simmons said. "Ive got a good read on them. I knew what they were doing. It was good. It was fun." Jose Constanza followed with his second infield hit. Hanson then sacrificed before Bourn greeted left-hander Luis Perez with an RBI double. Hanson gave up only two hits through five innings before struggling with two outs in the sixth. Colby Rasmus singled and scored on Bautistas 17th homer, cutting Atlantas lead to 3-2. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a single before Kelly Johnson ended the inning with a deep fly ball caught by Constanza at the wall in left. Blue Jays left fielder Rajai Davis left after the fifth inning in only his second game back after missing a game with a jammed left middle finger. Farrell said Davis developed a blister on the back of his left index finger from the treatment for the jammed finger. "The blister thats there creates a lot of discomfort for him," Farrell said. "When he swung the bat, the bat came out of his hand in the last at-bat and we had to get him out of the game." Mike McCoy replaced Davis in left field. NOTES: The Braves held a pregame ceremony to remember the 20-year anniversary of "The Slide." Francisco Cabreras ninth-inning hit drove in Sid Bream to give the Braves their 1992 NL championship series victory over the Pirates. Bream scored from second on a slide at the plate. The Braves then lost to the Blue Jays in the World Series. ... Players from the 1992 team, including John Smoltz, whose No. 29 was retired on Friday, lost to another team of former Braves players in a softball game. ... RHP Daniel Farquhar, designated for assignment by Toronto on Saturday, was claimed on waivers by Oakland. ... Bourn has a nine-game hitting streak. ... RHP Julio Teheran will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make a fill-in start for Tim Hudson on Sunday. Hudson has bone spurs in his left ankle and could return to the rotation on Wednesday against the Yankees. LHP Ricky Romero will start for Toronto. Gyasi Zardes Jersey .Benfica leads Porto by six points before it visits Pacos Ferreira on Monday.Bruno Gallo scored what proved to be Maritimos winner with a left-footed volley in the 32nd minute. Julian Green Jersey . -- Anze Kopitar politely disagrees with the idea that the Los Angeles Kings top line has dominated the Anaheim Ducks best scorers in their second-round playoff series.SAN DIEGO - San Diegos bullpen gave the Padres a chance, and they made the most of it. Will Venable had three hits and three RBIs, including a tiebreaking solo homer in the seventh inning, and the Padres rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 8-6 on Friday night. Jedd Gyorko homered twice and drove in a career-high four runs as the Padres stormed back after Chicago scored six times in the first inning. Chase Headley and Logan Forsythe had two hits apiece. "We just kept pecking away," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "And the pitchers just kept the momentum on our side." Nate Schierholtz hit a three-run homer in the first, but Chicagos lineup stalled after the fast start. "They beat our butts the last eight innings," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. Nick Vincent (3-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win and Huston Street got three outs for his 25th save in 26 chances, running his scoreless streak to 16 1-3 innings. It was a remarkable turnaround from the start of the game, when San Diego appeared to be headed for a long night when the first eight batters reached against Edinson Volquez. Leadoff batter Starlin Castro reached on a throwing error by third baseman Headley, moved to second on Anthony Rizzos single and scored on Dioner Navarros base hit. Schierholtz then connected for his 19th homer to make it 4-0. Brian Bogusevic added a two-run triple and Volquez was lifted after only recording two outs, matching the shortest start of his career. The right-hander was 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA in seven career starts against the Cubs. Tim Stauffer came in and pitched 4 1-3 innings of one-hit ball. The Padres bullpen threw 8 1-3 shutout innings in the win. "It was really Tim keeping us in the game and the bullpen doing a great job," Venable said. "The positive thing was there was still a long game to go and we were able to crawl back in there." San Diego responded with three in the fourth on Gyorkos 15th homer, a drive to centre on a 1-1 pitch from Edwin Jackson. Venable added a two-run triple of his own in the fifth, and the Padres were right back in thhe game. Joe Corona Jersey. Venable went 3 for 4 and is batting .373 (31 for 83) with six homers and 12 RBIs in his last 21 games. His 18th homer travelled an estimated 441 feet into the right-field seats. "That was one of the longest ones of the year," Black said. "Hes swinging at strikes and taking balls, as simple as that sounds. He is putting good swings on the ball." Forsythe came up with a tying triple in the seventh, and Venable put San Diego ahead to stay with his shot off James Russell (1-5). Gyorko greeted Blake Parker with a drive to right on his first pitch of the eighth, providing an insurance run. "Its not the ideal start, but there is nine innings of baseball left and anything can happen," Gyorko said. "We had great at-bats up and down the lineup." Jackson allowed six runs, five earned, and 10 hits in six-plus innings. He is winless in his last four starts. "Your team goes out and gives you six runs and any starter that we have, we all feel the same way. If you cant hold a six-run lead, its real disappointing," Jackson said. Black said he sensed the Padres would come back when Stauffer was greeted at the mound by catcher Nick Hundley. "When we made the pitching change Nick was the first guy to say, Hey, we got nine at-bats," Black said. "All the (infielders) had a good look in their eye." NOTES: Rizzo batted second in the order for the third straight game, a spot he hadnt hit in before Wednesday, when he slugged two home runs. ... The Cubs go against a left-handed starter in the Padres Eric Stults (8-10) on Saturday. It breaks a 15-game streak of facing a right-handed starter. ... Padres OF Carlos Quentin will test his balky right knee by running on Saturday. Quentin has been on the DL since July 31. Manager Bud Black said if the news isnt positive regarding Quentin, an operation is a possibility. ... Padres OF Kyle Blanks will be sent out on a rehabilitation assignment on Saturday. Blanks had been sidelined by a left Achilles injury; hes been on the DL since July 12. Blanks will go to Triple-A Tucson or Single-A Lake Elsinore. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '