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Hudson works into 9th, hits 2-run HR in 2-0 win

Jun 21, 2011 - 2:41 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Tim Hudson did it all for the Atlanta Braves on Monday.

The veteran pitcher tossed eight-plus shutout innings and belted a two-run homer to lead the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game interleague series at Turner Field.

Hudson (6-6) allowed just two hits and one walk, fanning eight to pick up the win for Atlanta.

"It was a lot of fun. We rarely have games like this," Hudson said. "It's great to have a good game pitching, and when you're able to help your team out offensively, it feels great to be a part of it."

Jason Heyward and Alex Gonzalez smacked doubles for the Braves, who have won three of their last five games.

Ricky Romero (6-7) went seven innings in defeat, yielding two runs on six hits while fanning four and walking two for Toronto, which has lost seven of its past 11 games.

J.P. Arencibia hit a sharp single to left in the second inning and Yunel Escobar singled in the ninth for Toronto's only hits.

"The pitching is going to worry about pitching. We're going to keep worrying about trying to do our job, and giving our team a chance to win," Romero said. "The offense, we can't do anything about that. We just gotta go out there and pitch. Those guys have a job to do, we're going to stick by each other and hopefully get on a good run from here."

Toronto had a chance to score in the ninth after Hudson issued a four-pitch walk to Mike McCoy and Escobar cued an infield single to short to put runners on first and second. Hudson was removed in favor of closer Craig Kimbrel and the flame-throwing righty fanned Corey Patterson, Jose Bautista and Adam Lind to earn his 20th save of the season.

Atlanta scored the only two runs of the game on Hudson's deep blast to left with two down in the seventh. Romero threw a get-me-over fastball and Hudson jumped all over it, belting it over the left field wall for the second home run of his career.

The Braves had put runners on first and second in the sixth inning when Heyward led off with a double to left and Romero hit Freddie Freeman with a pitch. But the Blue Jays were bailed out of trouble when Romero induced a double play from the struggling Dan Uggla.

Game Notes

Atlanta and Toronto are both 3-4 this season in interleague play...The Jays are 19-19 on the road this season...Lind is hitting .350 since returning from the DL on June 4...Heyward stole his fourth base of the year in the eighth inning...Bautista's streak of reaching base safely in 24 consecutive games was snapped...Hudson's other home run came on September 12, 2009, off St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse.