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Seven-run sixth helps Braves move past Diamondbacks

Aug 10, 2008 - 4:51 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks are used to clasping onto their title as the leader in the National League West, but their latest blunder almost cost them that spot.

Thanks to a seven-run, sixth-inning rally, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Diamondbacks, 11-4, on Saturday. However, a loss by the Los Angeles Dodgers (58-58) kept the Diamondbacks (59-58) a half-game ahead in the National League West.

Since July 28, 2007, Arizona has owned first place for 169 of the 173 games and has been staked in that position since April 5.

Everything unraveled for Dan Haren (12-6) in the sixth. The Diamondbacks were leading 3-2 until Kelly Johnson laced a two-run double to give Atlanta a lead it wouldn't relinquish. After Braves starter Jair Jurrjens singled, Haren was lifted for Juan Cruz.

"When you get an early lead against a pitcher like that, it makes it easier on the starting pitcher against him," Jurrjens said. "You just try to throw strikes and keep the team in the game."

Cruz surrendered a two-run single to Brian McCann before committing a throwing error, which allowed Yunel Escobar to score from third to increase the Braves' bulge to 8-3. On that play, the Diamondbacks may have lost starting second baseman Orlando Hudson, too.

Cruz, who attempted to cut off McCann at second, unleashed a throw that went awry and Hudson reached for the ball as a sliding McCann ran into him. Hudson dislocated his wrist and could miss the remainder of the season.

"(It's) not great, dislocation, fracture of a bone in his wrist, and we're not 100 percent sure whether he has to have surgery, probably a pretty good chance, but we will know in the morning," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said of Hudson's status. "If he has the surgery, he's out for the rest of the year and if he doesn't, there's still a chance he could be out for the rest of the year."

McCann, who hit his 21st home run in the first inning, continued the rally by stealing third and advancing home on another error by Cruz.

"It was a 3-2 count and I was sitting on a fastball, and he (Haren) left a split a little up in the zone and I was able to get enough wood on it to hit it out," McCann said of his first-inning blast.

Haren was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 pedestrian frames and saw a personal four-game winning streak evaporate.

"I felt pretty good coming out of the gate," Haren said. "I made a mistake there in the first inning and put us in a hole, and just seemed to battle all night. (There were) a couple of tough breaks in the sixth inning and I wasn't able to hold a lead, obviously disappointed, but thats the way it goes."

The Braves added two more runs in support of Jurrjens (11-7), who surrendered four runs - three earned - and seven hits in six innings while striking out six.

"(Jurrjens), I thought, was really good," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Three earned runs and another good performance."