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Uggla sets Atlanta hit mark, Braves honor Cox before pummeling Cubs

Aug 13, 2011 - 5:36 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - It's 32 and counting! Braves second baseman Dan Uggla established the longest hitting streak in Atlanta history with a pair of home runs in Atlanta's 10-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

It was a special day all-around in Atlanta. Prior to Friday's game, the Braves inducted former manager Bobby Cox into the Club's Hall of Fame and retired his uniform No. 6 during a pre-game ceremony.

Cox had his jersey retired less than one year after managing his final game with the Braves. After taking the helm in 1990 for his second stint with the franchise, he helped the Braves win 14 division titles, five National League pennants and one World Series title, which came in 1995, before retiring after last season.

The 70-year-old Oklahoman also managed the Braves from 1978-81.

Uggla broke the Atlanta record with one swing of the bat in the second inning, blasting Carlos Zambrano's offering over the wall in left-center. He also homered in the fifth and singled in the seventh.

"I'm just rolling with it," Uggla said. "Trying to stay relaxed and do my part."

The 32-game streak moved Uggla ahead of Rico Carty (1970) for the longest hitting streak since the club relocated to Georgia. Tommy Holmes has the longest hitting streak in Braves annals with a 37-game stretch in 1945 when the franchise was located in Boston.

Freddie Freeman, Jose Constanza and Chipper Jones also homered for the Braves, who have won five in a row. The five homers set a season high for the NL East's second-place team.

Mike Minor (2-2) allowed three runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win. He struck out six and walked one.

"We're getting down to the home stretch right now," Uggla said. "We need to concentrate on getting as many wins as we can."

To put a bit of a damper on the night, longtime Braves broadcasting great Ernie Johnson Sr. died at the age of 87. He passed away in a hospice.

Cubs starter Zambrano (9-7) got blasted to the tune of eight runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings before being ejected. He gave up a career-high five homers.

Zambrano kept things interesting after the game. He cleared out his locker and said he was retiring.

"I don't know where he's at," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "He walked out on 24 guys that are battling their [expletive] butts off for him. I don't know where he's gone or what he's doing. I heard he's retired, or talking about retiring."

Uggla's blast in the second started a two-run inning for Atlanta. Jones followed with a single. David Ross had a base hit two batters later to put men on the corners, and Constanza followed with an RBI groundout to make it a 2-0 game.

The Cubs got one run back in the third. Jeff Baker led off with a double and moved to third on Starlin Castro's groundout. Reed Johnson knocked in Baker with a single to left.

Atlanta used another homer in the home third to create some distance. Freeman singled and Uggla was hit by a pitch. Jones then crushed a ball over the wall in center. It was the 1,000th career extra-base hit for Jones.

Rookie Constanza joined the home run parade in the fourth with a solo blast to left. Constanza's second homer of the season gave the Braves a 6-1 lead.

Things got a bit tense in the fifth. After Freeman and Uggla hit consecutive one-out homers, Zambrano tried to hit Jones with a pitch. Home plate umpire Tim Timmons immediately tossed Zambrano. Ramon Ortiz came in from the bullpen and retired the next two batters to keep it an 8-1 contest.

"He seemed like he was frustrated," Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd said. "He was trying to take it out on Chipper, simple as that. Missed him the first time. Second time, missed him again, and got thrown out. I wish it didn't happen, but it did."

Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run double in the sixth, but the Braves fired back with two runs of their own in the home half. After David Ross led off with a single, Constanza hit a liner off pitcher John Grabow's knee. The ball deflected to third baseman Aramis Ramirez, whose errant throw put men on the corners. Pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad hit an RBI single and Michael Bourn added a sac fly for a 10-3 margin.

Castro hit a solo homer off Anthony Varvaro in the ninth to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Atlanta also honored the 1991 worst-to-first team...Zambrano fell to 2-5 in 13 career starts against the Braves...Chicago started a six-game road trip on Friday, while Atlanta got a 10-game homestand underway...The Cubs had won their last five road games...Chicago has now homered in 10 straight games (22 homers in total) for the first time since September 8-17, 2007 (11 games in a row)...Uggla was 1-for-9 lifetime against Zambrano coming into the game. He has the longest single-season hitting streak in the majors since 2006 when Phillies second baseman Chase Utley had a 35-gamer. Luis Castillo hit in 35 straight games for the Marlins in 2002. Those are tied for the longest by a second baseman in big league history.