Orioles 4 - 5 Braves
Final
  for this game

Ross' grand slam helps Braves edge O's

Jul 3, 2011 - 3:06 AM

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Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - David Ross belted a grand slam and Tim Hudson got a rare interleague victory, as the Braves held off the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4, for their fifth consecutive win.

Hudson (7-6) compiled six strikeouts, allowed eight hits and three runs to continue his dominance against the Orioles. He moved to 10-2 lifetime against Baltimore. The righty entered the night with a 3-14 mark with a 6.24 ERA in 19 starts against the AL since coming over to Atlanta.

Mark Reynolds belted a pair of homers for the Orioles, who also got a solo shot from Nick Markakis. Baltimore, losers of five straight, squandered a big chance in the eighth inning.

Blake Davis and pinch-hitter Robert Andino singled. Both runners advanced into scoring position on J.J. Hardy's groundout, but Eric O'Flaherty escaped the jam by retiring Markakis on a fly ball to left field.

Craig Kimbrel worked around a one-out single to Matt Wieters in the ninth and picked up save No. 24 when pinch-hitter Felix Pie struck out swinging.

Jake Arrieta (9-5) was lifted after five innings and trailing 5-2 partly due to a missed catch opportunity that could have prevented Atlanta's big fourth inning.

Reynolds homered to center field in the fourth, giving Baltimore a 2-0 lead and ending Hudson's scoreless streak at 17 innings.

"They had an inning or two where they had some pretty good swings on me," Hudson said. "For the most part, I felt I pitched okay. Later in the game I got lucky with some pitches they hit some at-'em balls at guys and got outs."

Arrieta retired the first two batters of the bottom of the inning, but Chipper Jones doubled and Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch. Dan Uggla then hit a liner to left field. Luke Scott couldn't make the sliding catch and the base hit plated Jones. After Nate McLouth walked, Ross smashed his second career grand slam, over the wall in left.

"I felt I was good pretty much all game, but I couldn't make the pitch to get out of the inning," Arrieta said. "It's just a terrible feeling, that's it."

Reynolds homered with one out in the sixth. Markakis, who had his career-high and team season-high 19-game hitting streak snapped Friday, smacked Scott Linebrink's fourth pitch of the seventh over the wall in center to get the O's within a run.

Game Notes

Before the game, the Braves optioned pitcher Cristhian Martinez to Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled pitcher Cory Gearrin from the same club...This was the 11th career multi-homer game for Reynolds...Kimbrel tied Mike MacDougal (Kansas City, 2003) for second-most saves by a rookie prior to the All-Star break. The major league first half rookie record is 26 saves by Boston's Jonathan Papelbon in 2006...Baltimore left 11 men on base.






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