Chen Disappoints as Maddux Secures #250

After earning his 250th career win, Greg Maddux isn`t looking past No. 251. "As soon as I quit, I`ve think about all I`ve accomplished," Maddux said. "It`ll sink in at some point. Right now, we`re in a pennant race. We kind of needed to win this one."

Brian Jordan homered twice to help Maddux win his sixth straight decision as the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-5 Thursday night.

The Braves won for the 10th time in 13 games, trimming the Phillies` lead in the NL East to one game.

Maddux (10-5) gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings. He has a 2.41 ERA. He is the youngest player who started his career after World War II to win 250 games, doing it at 35 years, 82 days. Steve Carlton (36 years, 112 days) was the previous youngest.

Maddux, the NL pitcher of the month in June, is 6-0 with a 2.23 ERA in his last seven starts. He was replaced after throwing only 86 pitches.

"I was ready to face another hitter or two," said Maddux, who struck out in his last at-bat in the sixth. "We weren`t sure if the bullpen was ready or not. I was just trying to protect my guys and give (Mike Remlinger) more time to warm up. You have to make sure your guy is ready."

Jordan broke a 1-1 tie in the second inning with a solo homer off Bruce Chen (4-5). Jordan chased the Phillies starter with his 10th homer, a three-run shot in the third that made it 7-1.

Jordan has 10 homers on the season and 10 multihomer games in his career. "I hope this will get me going," said Jordan, who was just 3-for-20 with no homers and four RBI in the first six games of the homestand. "You`ve got to have a spark. Hopefully, this will be mine."

Chen gave up seven runs and seven hits in two-plus innings. The left-hander, acquired last July from Atlanta in a deal for Andy Ashby, retired none of the five hitters he faced in the third.

"I`m disappointed in that outing," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "I thought he had turned the corner. When you`re pitching against a guy like Maddux, you have to give your team a chance to stay in the game. He didn`t."

Chen, who had won his last two starts, was facing the Braves for the first time. "I was making my pitches, but they were hitting them," he said. "I couldn`t get anyone out in the third. It was one of those days when they saw the ball."

Before Jordan`s three-run homer, B.J. Surhoff and Chipper Jones had RBI singles to make the score 4-1.

Scott Rolen drove in two runs for the Phillies and Tomas Perez had an RBI single off Trey Moore in a three-run ninth.

Maddux improved his lifetime record against the Phillies to 25-12. In 47 starts, he has a career ERA when facing Philadelphia.

"He pitches to situations in the game," Rolen said. "He`s still the best pitcher in the game, in my opinion."

Notes:
Atlanta signed 3B Ken Caminiti to a contract before the game. Caminiti will join the team in Boston on Friday. RHP Matt Whiteside was cut to make room for Caminiti on the 40-man roster. ... SS Jimmy Rollins set a Phillies record by stealing his 21st consecutive base in the first. ... Chipper Jones bruised his left rib cage before the start of the ninth after being hit by a throw from 1B Wes Helms as Atlanta was warming up between innings. Helms moved to third and Rico Brogna took over at first. Jones, who said X-ray results were negative, is day to day. ... After the game, the Phillies sent OF Turner Ward to Triple-A Scranton and recalled Eric Valent to serve as designated hitter at Baltimore this weekend.

Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)