• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Jurrjens' arm, bat figure in Braves' victory

Jul 12, 2009 - 4:23 AM DENVER(AP) -- After not getting a lot of run support in his recent outings, Jair Jurrjens took care of things himself.

Jurrjens pitched six strong innings and singled twice for his first career multihit game to drive in a run and score another, leading the Atlanta Braves past the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Saturday night.

"Any time you have a chance to help yourself out, you want to at least make the pitcher work," Jurrjens said. "Don't be an easy out. Don't just go up there swinging. Have an idea of what you're trying to do. I know can't get a hit every time, but I can make the other pitcher work every time and waste more pitches and that also helps my teammates by showing them what the other pitcher is trying to do."

Jurrjens (7-7) won for just the second time in his last eight starts. He had taken five losses in that span, including four in which he received two or fewer runs in offensive support.

"He could easily have 12 or 13 wins, that's how good he has been pitching all season long," said Braves catcher Brian McCann, who doubled and scored and drove in a pair of runs with sacrifice flies. "We just really haven't been scoring for him. Tonight, we got the timely hits and we were able to pull it out, and he helped. He's an athlete. He can hit. He can run."

Rafael Soriano, the last of five Braves pitchers, allowed a bloop single to Seth Smith to start the ninth inning but then struck out the side for his 12th save in 13 opportunities.

Trailing 4-0, the Rockies rallied to within one with a three-run seventh. Troy Tulowitzki connected off Jurrjens for his 15th homer of the season. Ian Stewart followed with a double off the center-field wall, finishing Jurrjens, who went six innings and gave up two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks.

Peter Moylan relieved and struck out Chris Iannetta, but Smith delivered an RBI single and pinch-hitter Garrett Atkins singled, moving Smith to third, where he scored on a passed ball.

Colorado starter Jason Marquis (11-6) went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits but was denied in his bid for a major league-leading 12th win.

Marquis retired the first three batters he faced to extend his scoreless inning streak to 18 before seeing it come to an end in the second, when the Braves scored twice, including a chopper by Jurrjens that went through to left field for an RBI single.

Jurrjens scored the Braves third run after beating out an infield single leading off the fifth.

"It's part of the game," Marquis said of giving up a couple of hits to the opposing pitcher. "I left a sinker in the middle of the plate, it found the hole. He hit it on the ground like I wanted him to. Sometimes, they're going to find holes. The second one, I made my pitch and he hit it off the end of the bat."

Overall, Marquis said he struggled with his location.

"I wasn't getting ahead early," Marquis said. "I didn't really have any fastball command. I felt really good with my slider and cutter. I battled through it, tried to keep my team in it the best I could. It just didn't work out."

Ryan Church started in right field for the Braves a day after he was acquired from the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Church went 0 for 4, but just missed a grand slam by a couple feet when Smith caught his long fly ball against the left-field fence. Church had also made a nice running catch near the wall of a fifth-inning drive by Smith.

NOTES: The Braves announced that RHP Javier Vazquez has been scratched from Sunday's scheduled start to rest a strained lower abdominal muscle. RHP Kris Medlen will start in his place. ... Tim Hudson, on the mend from "Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow, pitched batting practice for the Braves before the game. A team spokesman said Hudson was scheduled for a rehab assignment at Single A Myrtle Beach starting July 19. ... Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez was sent back to Atlanta, where team doctors examined his sore left elbow. A Braves spokesman said it was determined Gonzalez had some tendinitis in the elbow, but should be available after the All-Star break. ... Rockies reliever Alan Embree underwent surgery to repair a fractured right tibia a day after suffering the injury when struck by a line drive off the bat of the Braves' Martin Prado. Embree was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and the Rockies recalled reliever Matt Belisle from Triple A Colorado Springs. ... Tulowitzki has hit 10 of his 15 home runs since June 8.