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Hart helps Brewers in late comeback victory over Braves

Sep 22, 2007 - 4:04 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- It may have taken eight frames, but the Milwaukee Brewers finally came through against the Atlanta Braves.

Corey Hart drove in the tying run and pinch hitter Joe Dillon drew a bases-loaded walk to lead the Brewers to a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Milwaukee (79-74) entered Atlanta one game behind the Chicago Cubs (81-73) in the race for the National League Central Division title. Milwaukee dropped the first game of the four-game set to former Brewer Jeff Bennett on Thursday. The loss, combined with Chicago's 13-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier Friday, meant that another loss by Milwaukee would find the club 2 1/2 games off the lead.

"We knew we were going to be down 2 1/2 games," Hart said. "We don't have that many games left."

With their season in peril, the Brewers mounted a furious comeback with two outs in the eighth to remain 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central.

"Anytime you come back from a 1-0 deficit, it's big," Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder said. "Especially the way we did it with two outs. It was a good win."

The loss dealt a critical blow to Atlanta's fleeting playoff hopes. Atlanta (80-74), which whittled the New York Mets' (84-68) 9 1/2 game lead down to 4 1/2 entering play Friday are five games behind the Mets, who are playing the Florida Marlins.

For most of the night, the Brewers were frustrated at the hands of Atlanta starter Tim Hudson (17-9), stranding runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and seventh.

In the eighth, it looked like more of the same.

Craig Counsell led off the frame with a hard flyout to right and left fielder Matt Diaz robbed J.J. Hardy of a sure extra-base hit to record the second out of the inning.

Down to their final four outs against Hudson, who had not allowed a run in 17 frames, things didn't look good.

But something changed, really quickly.

Ryan Braun began the assault against Hudson with a broken-bat single and advanced to second on Fielder's single up the middle.

Hart followed with another broken-bat single, plating Braun to tie the game at 1-1.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play," Hart said. "I was just able to flare one to right."

"The worst two pitches I made in that inning were outs," Hudson said. "After that, you're like let's zero in and make some better pitches. Maybe I should have thrown it down the middle. Instead, I'm missing the barrel just enough to let them get hits."

Fielder and Hart advanced one base on right fielder Jeff Francoeur's fielding error. Hudson departed after issuing an intentional walk to Geoff Jenkins.

After Ron Mahay relieved Hudson, Dillon drew a four-pitch walk to give the Brewers a 2-1 edge.

"The first two pitches were a little up," Mahay said. "The 2-0 pitch was close enough and the 3-0 pitch was in the same spot. (Dillon) was a little shocked."

Braves manager Bobby Cox was ejected for the 10th time this season and 135th time of his managerial career for arguing the ball four call with plate umpire Chris Guccione. After the theatrics, Bill Hall plated Hart with another broken-bat single off reliever Tyler Yates to make it 3-1.

"It's just how it happens," said Hart of the broken bat rally. "Broken-bat hits count too. We were fortunate to have three in the inning to get the runs in."

The Brewers added an insurance run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Damian Miller to complete the scoring.

Scott Linebrink (5-6) pitched a scoreless seventh for the victory. Derrick Turnbow recorded a perfect eighth before closer Francisco Cordero worked around a one-out double to Francoeur to record his 44th save in 50 opportunities.

Hudson (16-9) allowed three runs and eight hits, walked two and struck out five in 7 2/3 frames for the Braves, who lost for the first time in six games.

Milwaukee starter Carlos Villanueva, who hurled seven innings of shutout ball in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds on September 16, was almost as brilliant in this one. The righthander allowed one run and three hits, walked three and struck out four in six solid frames.

Unfortunately for Villanueva, his only real mistake of the night was crushed over the right-center field wall.

Mark Teixeira smashed the righthander's 2-1 offering 458 feet into the stands for his 14th homer as a Brave and 27th homer of the year in the second. The blast, which landed a few rows beneath the bottom level of the Chop House, was the fourth longest longball at Turner Field.

"It felt good," Teixeira said. "It was an inside fastball. He probably wanted it in a little more than he had it and left it over the plate a little too much."