Lockhart, Lopez Succeed in Pinch

When Bob Wickman’s sinker failed to go down, Keith Lockhart and Javy Lopez made sure it went up--and out.

Lockhart and Lopez opened the ninth with consecutive pinch-hit home runs off Wickman and Walt Weiss homered later in the inning Tuesday night, giving the Braves a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

“He didn’t have his sinker tonight,” Brewer Manager Phil Garner said. “One of the things that he normally doesn’t do is give up home runs. You rarely see him give up home runs. Tonight was just not his night.”

Atlanta connected for back-to-back pinch-hit homers for the first time in team history. It was only the second time Atlanta had two pinch-hit homers in a game, with Lopez and Mark Whiten doing it July 22, 1996.

Greg Maddux, who has not won since April 29, gave up five hits in seven innings and left leading, 2-0. He wound up with a no-decision and avoided his first four-game losing streak in three seasons.

“It was important,” Maddux said. “It was nice to maybe stop the bleeding a little bit. You’ve just got to do it again in five days.”

With the score tied 2-2, Lockhart greeted reliever Wickman (2-2) with a drive over the right-field fence for his first homer of the season. Lopez hit his sixth homer on the next pitch.

Weiss connected off Mike Myers with two out. It was Weiss’ first home run since Sept. 15, 1997, with Colorado.