Hanson wins again, leading Braves past Red Sox 2-1

[June 29, 2009]  ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) -- Rookie Tommy Hanson threw six scoreless innings despite a bout with the flu, and homers by Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson carried the Atlanta Braves past Boston 2-1 on Sunday, preventing a Red Sox sweep.

Pitching dominated the weekend series, with the teams combining for only nine runs in three games. Hanson (4-0) kept it going, limiting Boston to two hits on another sweltering day at Turner Field and extending his scoreless streak to 20 innings.

This might have been the most impressive showing yet by the 22-year-old right-hander, one of baseball's most promising pitchers. He was sent home a day earlier with the flu, and the Braves weren't even sure if he's be able to start.

But Hanson felt good enough to go on a day when it was 91 degrees at the first pitch and climbing higher through the afternoon. He threw 97 pitches, keeping the Red Sox off balance with a fastball in the mid-90s mixed with nasty breaking balls.

Hanson became the first NL rookie to defeat the Yankees and Red Sox in consecutive starts, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He beat New York on Tuesday.

Boston had its only two hits off Hanson in the fourth -- back-to-back singles by Jason Bay and David Ortiz with two outs. Jason Varitek walked to load the bases, but Hanson escaped the jam with his 23rd pitch of the inning, grounded weakly to second by Jacoby Ellsbury.

Hanson fanned his final hitter -- Bay took a called third strike to end the sixth -- and the Braves turned it over to the bullpen. Peter Moylan escaped a seventh-inning jam caused by shaky Braves defense, getting Nick Green on an inning-ending double play with runners at first and third.

Rafael Soriano pitched a perfect eighth, then Mike Gonzalez endured an eventful ninth for his ninth save in 12 chances. The Braves botched a rundown, and Varitek blooped a two-out, run-scoring single to center. With two strikes on Ellsbury, a fan ran on the field and had to be tackled by security.

After a delay of several minutes while the handcuffed man was hauled off, Ellsbury went down swinging to end the game.

Jones, mired in a 10-of-60 slump, took advantage when Brad Penny (6-3) hung a breaking ball in the first, driving an opposite-field homer into the seats in left. It was the first homer since June 8 for the defending NL batting champ, whose average has slipped from .335 to .289 during his slide.

Anderson made it 2-0 in the fourth, driving one out in right for his fourth homer.

Penny pitched well, as did every starter through the weekend. He went six innings, giving up six hits, striking out two and not walking anyone.

NOTES: The Braves would have used another rookie, Kris Medlen, if Hanson had not been able to go. ... Penny grabbed his hand after bouncing a pitch in the first inning, bringing out manager Terry Francona and the trainer. Penny threw a couple of warmup pitches and was OK. ... Braves OF Jeff Francoeur had an eventful game. He took a pitch off the batting helmet in the second and was tagged out in a baserunning blunder trying to get back to second in the fourth, likely costing the Braves a run. ... Not a good game defensively: there were three errors and could have been a fourth. An errant throw by Boston SS Nick Green was initially ruled an error, then changed to a hit by the official scorer. ... The crowd of 41,463 snapped a streak of three straight sellouts at Turner Field.

[Associated Press; By PAUL NEWBERRY]

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