Kimbrel allows rare homer in Braves loss

[June 29, 2012]  ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) -- After Craig Kimbrel allowed a home run for the first time since last September, the Braves' closer was ready to begin another streak.

His mistake to Chris Young contributed to Atlanta's 3-2 loss to Arizona on Thursday night.

"I missed a spot," Kimbrel said. "He's a good high-ball hitter, and I threw it right in his wheelhouse. I'll come back tomorrow and start over."

Young hit a tiebreaking homer off Kimbrel (0-1) in the ninth inning. It was the first homer Kimbrel allowed since the Marlins' Omar Infante took him deep last Sept. 19.

The Braves have lost three of five. Though they left 10 runners on base, Atlanta hitters combined to strand 21.

"I was impressed with their pitching overall," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Their starting pitching and also their bullpen. I think that's one of the best staffs we've seen one through 12."

Brian McCann had an RBI double in the third inning, and Bourn made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

But Braves starter Jair Jurrjens couldn't hold the two-run lead in the sixth and left with runners on first and third and two out.

Jason Kubel, who began the night leading the NL with 24 RBIs in June, made it 2-2 in the sixth with a double off Jurrjens that scored Willie Bloomquist from second and Justin Upton from first.

A wild pitch walk to Miguel Montero moved Kubel to third and chased Jurrjens, who allowed six hits, two runs and three walks with no strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings.

"I was trying to have fun, keep my team in the game," Jurrjens said. "I wasn't as aggressive as I wanted to be in the strike zone."

Arizona starter Trevor Bauer battled with a strained groin in his major league debut and had to leave after pitching the first four innings.

Bauer, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2011, did not receive a decision. Called up from Triple-A Reno earlier in the day, Bauer allowed five hits, two runs, three walks and struck out three in four innings. The 21-year-old right-hander, who left for a pinch-hitter in the fifth, threw 42 of his 74 pitches for strikes.

David Hernandez (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth, allowing no hits, walking two and striking out the side.

J.J. Putz earned his 14th save in 17 chances, retiring Michael Bourn on a groundout, striking out Jason Heyward and getting Martin Prado to ground out.

Left-hander Patrick Corbin, making his majors debut as a reliever, held the Braves scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh and retired the last eight batters he faced.

The Diamondbacks have won five of seven and 15 of 23. They snapped a season-high four-game losing streak on the road.

During its last six games overall, Arizona's bullpen is 3-0 with a 1.08 ERA.

Young homered for the second straight night, but was batting .151 in his previous 106 at-bats and had been dropped to eighth in the batting order. Arizona has homered in nine straight games for the first time since July 20-Aug. 1, 2010.

Young was excited to beat Kimbrel, who snapped a 17-game scoreless streak that dated to May 8 at Chicago.

"He's one of the best in the game -- there's no secret to that," Young said of last year's NL Rookie of the Year. "His fastball is electric. He had his breaking ball working good tonight. I was able to battle, battle, and he threw me a couple of good pitches. I was able to foul them off, and he left me one to hit."

NOTES: Uggla, Freeman and Simmons combined to leave 13 runners on base. ... Heyward went 0 for 5 to snap a 12-game hitting streak, but he ended the Arizona second by catching Aaron Hill's fly ball in right field and throwing out Kubel on McCann's tag at the plate. ... Arizona optioned INF Josh Bell to Reno to make room for Bauer on the 25-man roster. ... Montero walked twice and has reached base safely in his last 17 games.

[Associated Press; By GEORGE HENRY]

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