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Hudson helps Braves continue streak, edge Marlins

Jul 1, 2007 - 4:37 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Tim Hudson continued the winning ways for the Atlanta Braves.

Hudson pitched seven outstanding innings and Edgar Renteria drove in a key run before the Atlanta Braves survived a scary ninth inning before defeating the Florida Marlins, 6-5, on Saturday.

Jeff Francoeur had a two-run single and Chipper Jones also drove in a run for Atlanta, which has won five straight, matching its longest winning streak of the season. The Braves also won five straight from May 8-12.

"It's never easy here," Hudson said. "Fortunately, we had some breaks go our way earlier in the game."

After allowing a run on two hits in the first, Hudson (8-5) was dominant, scattering just four singles over the next five frames before yielding a two-out double to pinch hitter Todd Linden in the seventh.

"I really had to bear down," Hudson said. "It was almost like a bend but don't break outing. They (Marlins) got some hits and guys in scoring position but I was able to make some pitches. The guys were able to make some pretty nice plays behind me whenever we needed to."

The 31-year-old, who struck out six, has won two straight after going 0-2 in his previous four starts.

Hudson, who is 5-1 lifetime in 11 starts vs. the Marlins and is 4-0 in six career games at Dolphin Stadium, yielded a run and seven hits and one walk and left with a 6-1 lead.

"I can't say enough about (Hudson)," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He couldn't have pitched better. To me, he's an All-Star the way he's pitched this season."

After Dan Uggla homered off Braves reliever Rafael Soriano to cut the lead to 6-2 in the eighth, closer Bob Wickman made it interesting in the ninth.

The righthander surrendered an RBI double to pinch hitter Josh Willingham and a two-run homer to pinch hitter Miguel Olivo to cut the Marlins deficit to 6-5. Tyler Yates then replaced the ineffective Wickman and got the final two outs to record his first save of the season and second of his career.

"(Wickman) went out there and had some trouble," Yates said. "Our bullpen (picks each other up). We're there to help him. I didn't think I'd be pitching tonight, but a couple of runs scored. Skip called my name and I went out there and did my job."

The Braves won the game for Hudson when they sent 11 men to the plate in the eighth.

With the score tied at 1-1, Willie Harris walked and stole his third base of the game before scoring on a double by Renteria off reliever Armando Benitez (2-4). Later in the frame with the bases loaded, Francoeur hit a two-run single up the middle to give the Braves a 4-1 lead.

It was the second time Harris has stolen three bases for the Braves, who pilfered a season-high five. "It's good to see us scoring runs and giving our pitchers comfortable leads," Harris said. "I'm not trying to hit homers. I'm just trying to get on base for the big dogs to score me."

After Lee Gardner replaced Benitez, Kelly Johnson followed with an RBI double off the left field wall before pinch hitter Matt Diaz hit a run-scoring single to make it 6-1.

Atlanta had tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth on an RBI single by Jones off Byung-Hyun Kim. The righthander from South Korea allowed a run, four hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings before being replaced by Renyel Pinto in the seventh.

"I think this was my best pitched game of the year," Kim said. "I wanted to throw more fastballs, not many changeups."

It was the third time this year Kim pitched at least six innings while giving up one run or fewer.

"He's nasty, he's got a lot of movement," Marlins catcher Matt Treanor said of Kim. "He wanted to throw more strikes and let them put it in play and that's what he did. He set his mind to changing how he's been pitching and that's what he did."

Florida has lost six of seven, allowing 53 runs in that stretch.

"Sometimes we don't hit, sometimes we don't pitch," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That's just the way it is."