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Hampton earns first win in three years as Braves rout Giants

Aug 6, 2008 - 6:50 AM By Ryan McCrary PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Mike Hampton pitched seven strong innings to earn his first win in three years as the Atlanta Braves claimed an 11-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

Hampton (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits, walking one while striking out two en route to his first victory since August 14, 2005.

"It's a good feeling," Hampton said. "There's always doubts that I'd never get another win and I don't know if I'll get another one from here, but I at least got one."

The oft-injured lefthander improved his career record against the Giants to 14-4 while dropping his ERA from 10.00 to 6.75.

"He was the 'Bulldog' Hampton tonight," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "I think the first outing he kind of felt his way through, but tonight he had that super-duper sinker going. He had the other stuff going along with it. I thought he was outstanding tonight, I really did."

"I wouldn't say everything was there, but it was pretty close," Hampton said. "The difference between the sinker I had against the (St. Louis) Cardinals (during the last start) and the sinker I had tonight was almost like two totally different pitches."

A two-time All-Star, Hampton has dealt with a variety of ailments that have kept him off the field for the last 35 months. The 35-year-old missed the entire 2006 campaign after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery in September 2005 before a torn flexor tendon in his troublesome left elbow washed out his entire 2007 season.

Hampton endured yet another setback this season, suffering a strained pectoral muscle before taking the mound for his 2008 debut on April 3.

"There's always some doubts with all the stuff I've been through and all the health issues and everything," Hampton said. "You definitely start doubting, but I just kept pushing and I kept working to get to this point."

But, on Tuesday, Hampton got plenty of run support as Atlanta opened the scoring with three runs in the fifth. Martin Prado plated the game's first run by grounding into a double play before Kelly Johnson, Hampton and Yunel Escobar all followed with doubles off Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez (8-8).

Sanchez surrendered three runs and seven hits with five strikeouts in five innings, failing to pitch into the sixth frame for the fifth time in six starts. The 25-year-old lefthander has not posted a win since June 29 against the Oakland Athletics.

"I thought he threw the ball much better tonight," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He started making some mistakes. He was getting up there as far as his pitch count and he started elevating a little bit and that's a dangerous club over there."

San Francisco got on the board in the bottom of the frame on a fielder's choice groundout by Luis Castillo but Atlanta tacked on four runs in the seventh against reliever Osiris Matos, pushing its lead to 6-1.

Fred Lewis hit a solo home run in the seventh and the Giants added two more in the eighth to pull within two runs. However, Atlanta answered with five runs in the ninth to seal the victory - much to the relief of Hampton.

"It got a little harried in the eighth, wasn't sure it was going to happen, but the guys pulled it out," Hampton said.

Mark Kotsay, who had an RBI single and scored a run, expressed pleasure in helping Hampton record the win.

"You're never going to silence all the critics, ever," Kotsay said. "No matter how successful you are when you come back, people are going to reflect on how you missed time and weren't there to go into battle with your teammates on a daily basis. Everyone in here that really means something to his story and to his comeback can appreciate it."