• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Braves stay hot, top Cubs

Aug 25, 2011 - 9:28 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Brian McCann hit a pair of homers and drove in four runs to help the Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs, 8-3, in the finale of a four-game series.

Michael Bourn and Martin Prado both scored twice for the Braves, who won three games in the set to move within six games of the NL East-leading Phillies.

Brandon Beachy (7-2) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on six hits over six innings to improve to 4-0 over his last seven starts. He struck out eight for Atlanta, which has won nine of its last 11 games.

Marlon Byrd hit a solo homer for the Cubs, who went 3-4 on a seven-game homestand.

Matt Garza (6-10) gave up six runs -- three earned -- on eight hits over five full frames to take the loss. He struck out six and walked two for Chicago, which committed four errors in the game.

McCann got the Braves going in the first inning. Bourn singled and Prado reached first on Garza's error to get things going. McCann stepped to the plate and crushed Garza's offering over the wall in right-center field for a 3-0 lead.

Chicago got one run back in the home first. Starlin Castro reached base on a bloop single to shallow right field. Second baseman Dan Uggla almost made a nice catch on the play. Castro stole second and scored on Darwin Barney's groundout.

The Cubs added two runs in the second to tie the game. Byrd hit a solo homer to left. Tyler Colvin tripled and came around to score on Geovany Soto's groundout.

Atlanta took the lead for good with a two-run third. Michael Bourn singled and moved to second on Castro's error. McCann walked to load the bases with no outs. Uggla worked a walk to force in a run. Freddie Freeman followed with an RBI single to right to make it a 5-3 game.

Jason Heyward's sacrifice fly in the fifth made it a three-run contest.

The Cubs put men on the corners in the sixth, but Byrd popped out to end the threat.

McCann's solo homer to left in the seventh made it 7-3. Atlanta tacked on another run in the eighth on Bourn's RBI single.

Arodys Vizcaino, Eric O'Flaherty and Cristhian Martinez each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for the Braves.

Game Notes

The Braves took four of seven from the Cubs this season...McCann has eight career multi-homer games...Chicago third baseman Aramis Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a double in the eighth...Chicago went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded five.