Braves Stop Phillies to Clinch Tie for Title

Chipper Jones had only one thought when he came to the plate with two runners on base in the first inning: “Just don’t hit into a double play,” he said.

Jones sparked a three-run inning with a two-run double and Brian Jordan added a two-run homer in the seventh as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-2, Thursday night at Atlanta to clinch a tie for the National League East title.

The Braves, seeking a 10th consecutive division championship, lead the Phillies by three games with three left--all at home against Florida. The Phillies close with three games at Cincinnati.

“The Braves did what they had to do,” Phillie Manager Larry Bowa said. “They don’t have all those banners up there for nothing. We’re on a respirator right now.”

Jones, who had only one RBI in his previous 15 games, followed a leadoff walk and Julio Franco’s single in the first with a two-run double off rookie Brandon Duckworth (3-2).

“It was a chance to get some momentum early with a big hit,” Jones said.

Arizona 5, Colorado 4--Reggie Sanders homered against the Rockies for the 10th time this season as the Diamondbacks nudged closer to the NL West title. The Diamondbacks finished their home schedule with a three-game sweep of Colorado and have won seven of eight.

St. Louis 10, Milwaukee 3--Matt Morris (22-8) became the first Cardinal pitcher since Bob Gibson in 1970 to win 22 games as St. Louis defeated the visiting Brewers behind Mark McGwire’s five RBIs. The Cardinals moved one game ahead of Houston in the NL Central with a three-game series against the Astros looming.

Chicago 2, Cincinnati 0--Todd Hundley hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Cubs defeated the Reds at Chicago. The game was called after a delay of 1 hour 23 minutes in the top of the eighth inning.

Florida 6, Montreal 2--Derrek Lee hit a three-run double and Kevin Millar drove in two runs as the Marlins won at Miami.

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Hall of Famer Rod Carew will resign as the Milwaukee Brewers batting coach at the end of the season. Carew, 56, who won seven batting titles during a 19-year career, was unable to coax more contact out of the Brewers’ all-or-nothing lineup that already has struck out more times than any team in major league history.

Carew released a statement in which he said it’s been a frustrating and disappointing year for everybody in the organization.

“During the coming off-season, many hard decisions will have to be made regarding improving the team’s performance on the field,” Carew said. “With my contract expiring, I’ve decided to make one of those decisions easier for everyone and step aside as the Brewers’ hitting instructor.”