Johnson, Braves avoid 3-game sweep against Brewers

[June 26, 2008]  ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) -- Kelly Johnson drove in three runs to back Jorge Campillo, and the banged-up Atlanta Braves rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 Wednesday and avoid getting swept in the three-game series.

Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar missed the game after jamming his left shoulder during Tuesday night's 4-3 loss. His replacement, Omar Infante, left in the second inning after straining his right hamstring while running out a double. Rookie Brent Lillibridge came in for Infante.

Ruben Gotay started at third base for Chipper Jones, who missed his fifth straight start because of a strained right quadriceps. Jones struck out in the eighth as a pinch hitter.

Campillo (3-2) gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings and walked none. He had been 0-2 in his previous five starts since winning at Milwaukee on May 29.

Blaine Boyer pitched around Rickie Weeks' two-out triple in the eighth, and Mike Gonzalez finished for his second save in two chances since coming off the disabled list on June 18. Ryan Bran singled leading off against Gonzalez, but Prince Fielder grounded into a forceout, and Corey Hart and Bill Hall struck out.

Jeff Suppan (4-6) gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings. He is 0-2 in three starts since June 8.

Milwaukee had won its previous four road games. The Brewers are 14-23 at Turner Field and have never swept a series in Atlanta.

Run-scoring doubles by Mike Rivera and Weeks put Milwaukee ahead in the third. Atlanta, which scored two runs in the first two games of the series, tied it in the bottom half on Johnson's two-run double. The Braves had been 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the series before Johnson's hit.

Gregor Blanco's RBI single put Atlanta ahead in the fifth, and Johnson followed with an RBI single.

Lillibridge hit an eighth-inning double off Mitch Stetter for his first career hit. Stetter intentionally walked Jeff Francoeur before Guillermo Mota fanned Jones.

Notes: Brewers RHP Eric Gagne pitched a scoreless inning in his first rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday night. Gagne, on the DL with right rotator cuff tendinitis, is scheduled to pitch an inning Thursday night.

[Associated Press; By CHARLES ODUM]

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