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Johnson, Braves slam Mets

Apr 6, 2008 - 12:56 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Tim Hudson and Kelly Johnson helped the Atlanta Braves win round one over the arch-rival New York Mets.

Hudson posted a quality start in his home debut and Johnson smashed a pinch-hit grand slam to carry the Braves to an 11-5 win over the New York Mets on a misty day at Turner Field on Saturday.

Atlanta was sure glad that Johnson, who missed the last two games with a sore right knee, could pinch hit in this one.

With the bases full, the 26-year-old smashed the 3-2 offering from former Braves pitcher Jorge Sosa into the right field bleachers for his second career grand slam and first career pinch-hit home run to give the Braves a 9-3 cushion.

"(My knee) feels better when you don't have to run and you get to jog," said Johnson, who had just three singles in 15 at-bats as a pinch hitter prior to the grand slam. "(I've) not been a good pinch hitter. A blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. I'll take it."

"Pretty good weapon on the bench," Braves manager Bobby Cox joked. "Kelly's a good hitter. It was as good way for him to get back in there, getting a grand slam."

With the rain-drenched crowd of 36,130 at Turner Field chanting his name, Johnson came out for a rare curtain call with the prodding of teammate Brian McCann, who is somewhat familiar with the curtain calls.

"I'm surprised half the fans knew my (first) name, it had been a while (since I've played)," Johnson said. "It was cool. Everything was unexpected."

After the Mets answered back for two runs in the top of the eighth, Jeff Francouer, who finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, capped the scoring with a two-run double.

"It's like every time we had an answer, they answered back better," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "We couldn't get the big stop defensively."

Atlanta had to like its chances, despite how bad its bullpen has been of late. Entering this one, Hudson (1-0) was 96-2 when given a lead of three or more runs.

Make that 97-2.

The Braves' ace allowed three runs and six hits and struck out four without issuing a walk in six innings to improve to 8-4 with a 3.68 ERA in 13 starts against Atlanta's chief National League East foe.

"I felt real good out there today," Hudson said. "I felt like I had a good sinker early on."

Hudson's line would have been even better, as the righthander appeared to get out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the fifth when third base umpire Bruce Dreckman ruled that Mark Kotsay made a diving grab on Jose Reyes' liner to left-center field and easily doubled off Angel Pagan at second base.

However, television replays showed that Kotsay trapped the ball.

Mets manager Willie Randolph argued the call, which the umpires reversed after a lengthy discussion.

Ryan Church, who never actually crossed home plate, scored on Reyes' base hit to cut the lead to 4-2. Pagan, who was awarded third base on the call, was plated on an RBI groundout by Luis Castillo before Hudson retired Wright on a groundout to end the frame.

"It's one of those things, (Kotsay) obviously didn't catch the ball," Hudson said. "(The umpires) screwed the call up. It's kind of weird that that they scored a run when no one came across home plate. But the run is what it is."

Francoeur broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single and Matt Diaz extended the advantage to 3-1 with a base hit in the third.

Atlanta took a 4-1 lead when Mark Teixeira plated Yunel Escobar with a single one inning later. The Braves added an insurance run on a run-scoring single by Kotsay in the sixth.

John Maine (0-1), who led all NL starting pitchers with a 1.53 ERA during the spring, did not fare as well in this one. The righthander, who surprised many in the majors by notching 15 victories last season, allowed four runs and eight hits, walked three and struck out five in four frames.

"He what throwing inside to lefties," batterymate Brian Schneider said. "His velocity was there, his location wasn't there."

Chipper Jones had three hits and former Met Ruben Gotay collected his first hit for the Braves.

Atlanta (2-3), which has been outscored by one run in each of its three losses, has routed its opponents, 21-7, in its two victories.

Wright was hitless in five at-bats to snap a 20-game hitting streak dating to last season for the Mets, who were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.