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Campillo shackles Mets as Braves sweep

May 21, 2008 - 5:04 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Not even the rain could slow down Jorge Campillo and the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Campillo scattered three hits in six solid frames in a spot start and Kelly Johnson drove in two runs to lead the Braves to a 6-2 win over the New York Mets and sweep a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.

Chipper Jones collected two hits and drove in a run to raise his major league-best average to .409 and Mark Kotsay capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the eighth for Atlanta, which improved to 18-5 at home this season.

"Campillo is the story of the second game," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Six solid innings and a lot of strikeouts. He's a master at changing speeds. It didn't shock me about that. He pitched a great game."

The Braves, who won the first game of the split-admission doubleheader 6-1, are off to a scorching start at home, losing just once here since April 23.

"We're playing real good at home," Kotsay said. "Hopefully, when we get on the road (where Atlanta is 6-16), we can take our (home) white jerseys with us."

The sweep left the Mets battered and bloodied. On the final play of the nightcap, Mets right fielder Ryan Church ran into the kneecap of Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar while unsuccessfully trying to break up a double play and collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from his forehead.

Escobar limped off the field with help from his teammates while Church stayed on the field for about 10 minutes before being helped to the locker room.

The 29-year-old Church, who has been one of the bright spots in an uneven Mets campaign, was diagnosed with a mild concussion. He was taken to Piedmont Hospital for further tests.

During a preseason game on March 1, Church suffered a Grade 2 concussion when he collided with teammate Marlon Anderson.

Escobar, who was sporting an icepack over his bruised knee after the game, will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.

"No DL," Escobar said. "(I'll play) tomorrow."

After a 99-minute rain delay at the start of this one, Atlanta's bats picked off right where they left off in the opener.

Jones got the Braves on the board in the first with an RBI double down the left field line before Atlanta broke the game open with three runs in the third on an RBI single by Mark Teixeira and a two-run triple by Johnson.

The tallies were more than enough for Campillo (1-0), who was making his first major league start since a one-inning start for Detroit on August 2, 2005.

In that one, the righthander injured his right elbow after facing just three batters. Almost three years later, he finally got his chance to start again.

The 29-year old Campillo, who was signed as a minor league free agent in the offseason, made the most of his opportunity. He scattered three hits and struck out seven over a career-high six scoreless frames to record his first major league win, but was cognizant of the injury that cut his first start short.

"In my mind, I had to get through four hitters," Campillo said through a translator. "The other time, I threw to three batters (and got hurt). After I got the number four hitter, I was OK."

Campillo, who hurled 54 of his career-best 78 pitches for strikes, retired the first nine Mets in order before surrendering a single to Jose Reyes to lead off the fourth.

"Who expected six shutout innings against the Mets?" Cox said. "But we started him because we thought he could do a good job against them and he did an excellent job."

New York, which went 22 at-bats between baserunners in the first game, was almost just as futile at the plate in the nightcap. The Mets went 10 batters between baserunners between the fifth and the eighth frames before finally breaking through.

After Carlos Delgado drew a leadoff walk, Ramon Castro followed with an RBI double off of Atlanta reliever Blaine Boyer, snapping a 20-inning scoreless streak by the Atlanta relief corps.

After another hit, Reyes greeted Atlanta closer Manny Acosta with a run-scoring single to cut the lead to 4-2. But Acosta retired Marlon Anderson to end the threat and worked around two singles in the ninth to record his third save.

"We have to start to play consistent baseball," Reyes said. "We haven't been playing that all year, (there have been) a lot of ups and downs. We have to give (Tom) Glavine (who pitched the first game) and (Campillo) a lot of credit. It's tough when you lose a doubleheader."

Atlanta rested the slumping Jeff Francoeur in the nightcap, halting his major league-leading consecutive games streak at 370.

"He said he was going to sit by me," Cox said of the struggling Francoeur, who had one hit in his last 14 at-bats. "(Pitching coach) Roger (McDowell) has that spot. He needs to relax a ballgame and have a little fun."

Claudio Vargas (0-1) allowed four runs and five hits, walked two and struck out one in his first start since 2006 for the Mets, who were swept in a day-night doubleheader for the first time since June 27, 2004, vs. the New York Yankees.

"We're not doing our job and getting the job done," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "You can't point fingers at any individual. You can't point fingers at the coaching staff.

"We all have to take responsibility. We've got too much talent to be a .500 team and that's what we are right now."