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Smoltz gets support as Jones and Braves pound Marlins

Sep 18, 2007 - 4:04 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) - The Atlanta Braves finally gave John Smoltz some run support against the Florida Marlins.

Chipper Jones continued his assault on the National League batting title by tallying three hits and driving in two runs and Smoltz hurled six solid frames to lead the Braves to an 11-6 victory over of the Marlins on Monday.

The 40-year old Smoltz (14-7) has pitched well against the Marlins this season, allowing just five runs and nine hits in two starts coming into this one. But Atlanta, which has averaged just 4.5 runs in the veteran's 29 starts, plated just one run while Smoltz was in the game in both instances.

"This year has been about what if's," Smoltz said. "The difference (with not getting run support) between myself and Hudson's years that could have been the difference between first place and being in the playoff race."

"He would have 21 or 22 (wins) by now," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He was lights out again."

The Braves plated a run in the first on Jones' RBI single before exploding for four runs off of Marlins starter Byung-Hyun Kim (9-7) in the third.

Kelly Johnson led off the frame by lacing a fly ball into the right-center field gap, which center fielder Alfredo Amezaga and right fielder Mike Jacobs lost in the twilight. The ball bounced off the warning track and went over the fence for a ground-rule double.

Renteria followed with a single before Jones, who entered this one leading the NL with a .335 batting average, plated Johnson with a base hit. After Kim hit Mark Teixeira to load the bases, Brian McCann lofted a sacrifice fly to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead.

Jeff Francoeur added to the lead with an RBI single before rookie Brandon Jones, who was recalled from Class AAA Richmond on Sunday, capped the scoring by driving in his first major league run with a sacrifice fly to left.

Atlanta continued the offensive onslaught by plating five more runs in the fifth.

Francoeur drove in his 99th and 100th runs of the season with a double to the left-center field gap ahead of Andruw Jones, who smashed a three-run homer - his 25th of the year - off reliever Daniel Barone into the left-center field bleachers to extend the advantage to 10-1.

Julio Franco then capped the Braves' scoring with an RBI single to right in the eighth for an 11-6 lead.

"It's something that's exciting," Francoeur said of his 100 RBI season. "It's big when you have guys getting on base for you. I've been lucky to take advantage of the situations."

"It was a good win," Cox said. "Smoltz, I thought he was outstanding once again. Francoeur got his 100th (RBI), Chipper got three hits."

The 11 runs were far more than Smoltz needed.

The future Hall of Famer scattered one run and four hits, walked one and struck out four in six effective frames to notch his 207th career win.

The righthander, who threw a first-pitch strike all but four of the 22 batters he faced, hurled a staggering 57 of his 76 pitches for strikes to easily dispatch of the last-place Marlins.

With Smoltz out of the game, the Marlins rallied for five runs off the Atlanta bullpen.

Jacobs smashed a solo homer in the seventh and Amezaga and Hanley Ramirez drove in a run apiece off of reliever Jose Ascanio.

The Marlins added two more in the eighth on Cody Ross' run-scoring double and Miguel Olivo's RBI groundout. Ross homered in the second for the Marlins, who lost for just the second time in six games.

Kim allowed a career-high nine runs and nine hits, walked one and struck out three in four-plus frames for Florida.

"Ten runs are tough to overcome," Jacobs said. "We did a good job of battling back. That's one thing you can say about this team."