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Braves complete sweep of Brewers on Prado's homer

May 6, 2011 - 2:39 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Martin Prado's homer in the eighth inning was the deciding run as the Atlanta Braves held on for a 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers to sweep the four-game set.

Eric Hinske's shot in the second was the only other run for Atlanta, which won both games during Wednesday's doubleheader by scores of 8-3 and 8-0.

"We needed it," Prado said of the sweep. "Pitching-wise from the beginning of the season has been great. We didn't give them any support. I'm glad we're playing as a team right now. We're playing good baseball. This win and this series makes us confident."

Jonny Venters (2-0) got the win for the Braves, throwing a shutout eighth with two strikeouts. Atlanta's starter, Brandon Beachy, had another no- decision -- his third straight -- in six innings of work. He allowed just an unearned run on four hits with nine strikeouts.

Brewers starter Shaun Marcum threw seven quality innings in the pitching duel, allowing just one run on five hits with eight strikeouts. Kameron Loe (2-3) was charged with the loss, the Brewers sixth in a row, by giving up Prado's homer.

"Everybody's spirit is up," Marcum said. "We realize we have a lot baseball ahead of us. We know we're a lot better than what we're playing. It's going to turn around eventually."

In a game where runs were a premium, Atlanta got the biggest hit from Prado in the eighth. He ripped a 3-1 sinker deep down the left field line and into the seats for a 2-1 lead.

From there, Craig Kimbrel got his seventh save of the season with a perfect ninth, fanning the first two batters he faced and getting Corey Hart to fly out to end the game.

Also in a game that saw just 13 hits, Chipper Jones recorded two doubles, good for 504 in his career to tie Roberto Alomar for third all-time by switch hitters.

Atlanta's first run was also a home run in the second inning when Hinske belted a deep shot over the right-field fence.

The Brewers knotted it up in the fifth on Jonathan Lucroy's sacrifice fly to center that plated Yuniesky Betancourt, who reached on a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Hicks.

Milwaukee's best chance to take the lead came in the eighth. Rickie Weeks singled to lead off the inning, and Nyjer Morgan laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Weeks in scoring position. However, Venters got Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder to strike out and Atlanta went on to score the winning run in the bottom of the frame.

Game Notes

Morgan hurt his finger during a sacrifice bunt in the eighth when he used his off-hand to control the bat and the ball hit his fingers. He did not return to the game and is expected to miss 2-to-four weeks with a broken left middle finger...It was the Braves' first four-game sweep of the Brewers in franchise history...Fielder, who went 0-for-4, still sits at 199 career homers.