Jones' 2-run homer lifts Braves past Cubs 3-2

[April 20, 2010]  ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) -- Chipper Jones hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves held off the Chicago Cubs 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Martin Prado hit a one-out double off John Grabow (0-1), ending a string of 15 consecutive outs by Braves batters, before Jones connected for his first homer of the season.

Peter Moylan (1-0) worked around a hit and a walk during a scoreless eighth and Billy Wagner finished for his first save with Atlanta. Alfonso Soriano singled with one out in the ninth but Wagner responded by striking out pinch-hitter Xavier Nady and Geovany Soto to end the game.

Braves phenom Jason Heyward hit an RBI double in the second and finished 1 for 3 with two strikeouts. The 20-year-old rookie homered and drove in four runs in his major league debut on Monday.

The Cubs scored two unearned runs off Jair Jurrjens in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. With one out and the bases loaded, pitcher Ryan Dempster hit a sharp grounder to first base that Troy Glaus bobbled for an error, allowing Soriano to score. Ryan Theriot followed with a sacrifice fly to center.

Soriano helped set up the inning when he beat out a potential double-play grounder in a close play. Braves manager Bobby Cox briefly argued first-base umpire Marvin Hudson's call.

Jurrjens allowed five hits over five innings, with two walks and two strikeouts.

Dempster gained momentum after the third, striking out Heyward and Nate McLouth to open the fourth and Melky Cabrera and Martin Prado to open the fifth. He finished with nine strikeouts in six innings yielding just three hits.

NOTES: Glaus had four strikeouts, giving him six in his first two games with the Braves. ... Kosuke Fukudome singled and stole second in the eighth, the Cubs' first stolen base of the season. ... CF Jordan Schafer, who opened the 2009 season as the Braves' starter, had his left hand and wrist examined, and was scheduled to report to the team's minor league camp on Thursday. After being sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett last season, Schafer had season-ending surgery on the wrist on Sept. 5 and has been discouraged that the injury has been slow to heal. ... Former Atlanta RHP John Smoltz, who has not retired but has agreed to work on some local telecasts of Braves games, visited the Braves' dugout during batting practice. Smoltz also will serve as an analyst for the TBS and MLB.com networks.

[Associated Press; By CHARLES ODUM]

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