Andruw Jones hits 350th homer in win

Bobby Cox’s team rebounded from a trying weekend in a rough month with a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday afternoon, thanks in part to Andruw Jones, who belted the 350th home run of his career.

“It’s nice after being swept to get the jump on these guys,” starting pitcher Chuck James said.

Atlanta and Milwaukee entered Monday’s game with identical 28-22 records and fairly similar profiles. Both teams got off to hot starts in April, only to fall on hard times in May.

Atlanta was swept at home by Philadelphia over the weekend and had lost 10 of its last 14 games. But it got a jolt from James, who tied a career high with eight strikeouts in six innings.

Milwaukee now has lost six straight games and 13 of its last 17 but still holds the lead in a weak NL Central.

“We’re still in first place, so there’s no reason in panicking,” center fielder Bill Hall said.

James (5-4), who was 11-4 as a rookie last season, held Milwaukee scoreless until Prince Fielder smacked his league-leading 16th home run of the season to lead off the sixth inning.

James had the Brewers baffled for the first six innings, but Cox opened the door for Milwaukee when he lifted James in favor of pinch-hitter Martin Prado with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh. Prado struck out, and Brewers starter Chris Capuano (5-4) got out of the jam with a popout by Kelly Johnson and a flyout by Matthew Diaz.

Atlanta reliever Tyler Yates then allowed the first two runners he faced to reach base in the seventh. After a sacrifice, J.J. Hardy hit a screaming line drive that was picked out of the air by first baseman Scott Thorman.

“We were getting those hits earlier in the year,” Hall said.