Final
Atlanta won 4-0
| Game 1: Monday, July 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chi Cubs | 0 | Final |
| Atlanta | 4 | |
| Recap »Boxscore » | ||
| Game 2: Tuesday, July 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chi Cubs | 1 | Final |
| Atlanta | 5 | |
| Recap »Boxscore » | ||
| Game 3: Wednesday, July 6 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chi Cubs | Postponed | |
| Atlanta | ||
| Game 3: Thursday, July 7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chi Cubs | 0 | Final |
| Atlanta | 6 | |
| Recap »Boxscore » | ||
| Game 4: Thursday, July 7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chi Cubs | 4 | Final |
| Atlanta | 9 | |
| Boxscore » | ||
7:35 PM ET, July 7, 2005
Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
ATLANTA -- Andruw Jones hit his major league-leading 27th homer and prized rookie Jeff Francoeur added a three-run shot in a six-run eighth inning as the Atlanta Braves beat Chicago 9-4 on Thursday night to sweep a doubleheader and extend the Cubs' worst losing streak in three years.
Chicago's eight-game slide is its worst since dropping nine in a row from May 8-18, 2002.
Before The All-Star Break |
||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Year | Homers |
| Andres Galarraga | 1998 | 28 |
| Andruw Jones | 2005 | 27 |
| Hank Aaron | 1973 | 27 |
| Darrell Evans | 1973 | 27 |
| Hank Aaron | 1957 | 27 |
| Eddie Mathews | 1953 | 27 |
The Cubs blew a 4-3 lead when Jones' two-run shot chased reliever Roberto Novoa (2-2). Francoeur, an outfielder considered the top prospect in the Atlanta organization, was called up from Double-A Mississippi earlier in the day and he homered off Glendon Rusch for his first career hit.
John Foster (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win as the Braves, who have won 16 of 21, batted around in the bottom half of the inning. Marcus Giles ended the scoring with an RBI single.
Horacio Ramirez (8-5) won the opener 6-0 with his first career shutout. The Braves chased Chicago starter Mark Prior (5-3) in the fifth when Julio Franco hit a three-run homer.
Aramis Ramirez put the Cubs ahead 1-0 in the fourth inning of the second game with an RBI single that ended the team's streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings. He added his 19th homer in the sixth, a two-run shot that made it 4-3.
The Braves had taken a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Rafael Furcal's sixth homer, a two-run shot.
Jerome Williams started for the Cubs and allowed eight hits and three runs in six innings.
John Smoltz, who sought his first win as a starter over the Cubs since April 5, 1997, went seven innings for the seventh time in eight starts. He allowed six hits and four runs. He entered with a 15-4 career record, a 2.83 ERA and eight saves against Chicago.
The Cubs, playing their second straight game without All-Star first baseman Derrek Lee, had been outscored 15-1 in the first three games of the series.
Lee leads the majors with a .377 average, but he felt a twinge in his left shoulder as he struck out Tuesday. He is listed as day-to-day.
Game notes
Francoeur, an Atlanta native and a first-round draft pick in 2002, received a standing ovation in the third as he made his first career at-bat. He grounded out to third. ... The Cubs lost seven straight from April 30-May 7. ... Braves starters Tim Hudson and Mike Hampton said they will pitch another simulated game Saturday instead of making a rehab start in Class A.
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Regular Season Series
Scoring Summary
| CHC | ATL | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | A Ramirez singled to right, J Macias scored, T Walker to third. | 1 | 0 | |
| 4th | T Hollandsworth hit sacrifice fly to center, T Walker scored. | 2 | 0 | |
| 4th | A LaRoche grounded out to first, K Johnson scored, A Jones to second. | 2 | 1 | |
| 5th | R Furcal homered to right, P Orr scored. | 2 | 3 | |
| 6th | A Ramirez homered to left, T Walker scored. | 4 | 3 | |
| 8th | A Jones homered to center, M Giles scored. | 4 | 5 | |
| 8th | J Francoeur homered to center, R Langerhans and B McCann scored. | 4 | 8 | |
| 8th | M Giles singled to center, P Orr scored, K Johnson to second. | 4 | 9 | |
| View complete Play-By-Play | ||||
Game Information
| Stadium | Turner Field, Atlanta, GA |
| Attendance | 34,847 (70.6% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 2:41 |
| Weather | 75 degrees, partly cloudy |
| Wind | 10 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Laz Diaz, First Base - Dana Demuth, Second Base - Troy Fullwood, Third Base - Casey Moser |

