Associated Press
The National League roundup …
ATLANTAó Chipper Jones said it might have taken a little more than a big hit from Alex Gonzalez, a strong start from Jair Jurrjens and a homer from backup catcher David Ross for the Braves to finally beat Yovani Gallardo.
Jones kidded a little witchcraft might have been involved.
Gonzalez hit a three-run double to give Atlanta the lead and the Braves finally solved Gallardo, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 on Monday night.
Gallardo began the day 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in five career starts against Atlanta, including a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 win on April 5 in Milwaukee.
“We snapped the head off a chicken and, I don’t know, exorcised a demon,” said Jones joking around.
Ross hit a homer in the third inning before the Braves knocked Gallardo (2-2) out of the game in the sixth. Gonzalez cleared the bases with his double before scoring on a single by Nate McLouth.
The four runs Gallardo allowed in the sixth matched his total allowed over 371/3 innings in his first five starts against the Braves.
“He’s been scuffling a little as of late,” said Jones, who had two hits.
Jurrjens appears to be gaining momentum.
Jurrjens (3-0) gave up two runs on seven hits and no walks in 7 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts as he continues his comeback from a frustrating 2010 season shortened by injuries.
“It’s not so much what I’m doing, I’m just pain-free,” Jurrjens said.
Nationals 2, Giants 0
WASHINGTON ó Tom Gorzelanny allowed only three hits in eight sharp innings against a struggling San Francisco lineup, and Michael Morse and Jerry Hairston Jr. drove in runs for Washington, helping the Nationals beat the Giants 2-0 Monday on Military Appreciation Night.
Marlins 6, Cardinals 5
ST. LOUIS ó Mike Stanton hit a tying home run in the fifth inning and tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth to lift Florida.
Astros-Reds ppd
CINCINNATI ó Homer Bailey will get to avoid one more minor league start and return to the Reds’ rotation this week, thanks to the wet weather. A forecast of steady rain all night prompted the Reds to postpone their game against the Houston Astros on Monday, more than three hours before the scheduled start.