Jones Steals the Spotlight as Braves Win

The Florida Marlins had a hard time getting Andruw Jones out, even when he was trapped between bases.

Jones tripled, hit a two-run homer and stole home on a botched rundown in leading the Atlanta Braves to a 5-3 victory over the Florida Marlins on Monday night at Miami.

“The guy has hurt us every way imaginable in this series,” Florida Manager John Boles said. “He’s a special guy.”

Walt Weiss hit a tie-breaking RBI single in the ninth for the Braves, who took the series, 3-1, and finished 8-3 on a 15-day trip, their longest of the season.

With the score 3-3, Javy Lopez singled to start the ninth against Antonio Alfonseca (0-3) and advanced on a sacrifice. Jones was intentionally walked by Matt Mantei, and Lopez scored when Weiss’ grounder glanced off the glove of a diving Derrek Lee at first base.

Atlanta then added another run. With runners at first and third, pitcher Rudy Seanez missed an attempted squeeze bunt, catching Jones off third. But he scored and the Braves were credited with a double steal when the Marlins bungled the rundown.

“About 80% of the time the opposition is going to get you out,” Jones said. “Fortunately they dropped the ball and I scored.”

Boles said Jones deserved credit for forcing a bad throw by third baseman Kevin Orie.

Seanez (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings to complete the five-hitter. Kevin Millwood gave up four hits in 7 1/3 innings and left with a 3-2 lead.

The Braves happily headed home following a trip that included a snowout, a rainout and 11 games. The only longer Atlanta trip was during the 1996 Olympics.

“I’m ready to go home. I haven’t worn clean clothes in about a week,” Millwood said.

“It was a great road trip,” Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said. “We played well in almost every game. If you told me before the trip that we would go 8-3, I would have taken it, and then we don’t have to go.”

Houston 5, Arizona 2--Jose Lima won his third consecutive start and Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo drove in two runs apiece, leading the Astros at Houston.

Lima (3-1) gave up two runs and seven hits in eight innings, struck out four and walked two, retiring 11 of 13 in one stretch. Billy Wagner finished for his sixth save.

Todd Stottlemyre (2-1) lost for the first time in five starts this season, giving up all five runs--only three earned--and six hits in six innings with five walks and four strikeouts.

Arizona, which had won six of its previous seven games, is 8-2 at home but 3-7 on the road. The Diamondbacks outhit the Astros, 7-6.

Houston managed only one hit in the first four innings but led, 2-0, on a pair of unearned runs in the fourth. Bell reached when shortstop Tony Batista bobbled his grounder for an error, stole second and scored on Bagwell’s single. One out later, Stottlemyre walked Carl Everett, Hidalgo and Tony Eusebio, forcing in a run.