Chipper notches extra-base hit in 14th straight to lift Braves

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- No record was safe from Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves, who made spacious Petco Park play like a bandbox.

Jones hit a two-run homer Sunday to give him an extra-base hit in 14 straight games, tying a 79-year-old big league record, and the Braves roughed up Jake Peavy during a wild 10-5 win that gave them a three-game sweep of the NL West-leading San Diego Padres.

Trade winds in Hotlanta?

With a three-game sweep to open the second half of the season, Atlanta is back in the thick of the playoff race, just 5½ games out of the wild card. With that in mind, at least one influential Braves player hopes the front office does something to help bolster the team's postseason chances. "I sure hope we make some moves," veteran pitcher John Smoltz told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I hope we do something. If we crawl back into this, it would be nothing more than to give us some veteran help down there because we're relying on a lot of young guys." Smoltz declined to elaborate on what he meant by "down there." "Any area that we need strengthened. It is what it is," he told the newspaper. "It just would help. Hopefully we can play our way into a position where maybe that move can be made, but certainly we could shore up a couple of things."

On a day when both managers, a bench coach and a player were ejected for arguing balls and strikes, the Braves won their season-high fifth straight game, and ninth of their last 11.

While the Braves tore apart the Petco Park record book, Jones hit a 424-foot, two-run homer in the fourth to tie the record of 14 straight games with an extra-base hit set in 1927 by Pittsburgh's Paul Waner.

"That's pretty cool, when you think about all the great players who've played this game," Jones said. "When you think about it, there's not that many 14-game hitting streaks, much less getting an extra-base hit in those 14 games. Then again, I'm going to ride it as long as I can, hopefully extend it out there a few more."

It was Jones' third homer of the series and 14th this year. He hit two in Friday night's 15-12, 11-inning win, which was the highest-scoring game in Petco's three-year history.

Brian McCann also homered Sunday for the Braves, giving them 11 in the series -- a Petco record for one team. The 16 total homers were also a Petco record, eclipsing the 14 hit by the Mariners and Padres June 23-25.

The Braves scored 36 runs -- a ballpark mark -- on 43 hits in the series, including nine doubles. The teams combined for 56 runs -- also a Petco record -- on 82 hits.

"I'm getting a lot of pitches to hit," said Jones, who had three hits and three RBI. "I'm just going through a stretch where I'm not missing them and doing a lot of damage with them. Again, the guys in front of me have been doing a terrific job of getting on base, and me and Andruw [Jones] have been cleaning them up.

Elias Says ...
Atlanta swept its three-game series at San Diego by scores of 15-12, 11-3 and 10-5. The Braves hadn't swept a road series of at least three games while scoring at least 10 runs in each game since 1950, when the Boston Braves won three in a row at Cincinnati (May 4-6; 12-6, 13-1 and 15-11). • For more from Elias Says, click here.

"At times it's almost surreal," he added. "I put the meat part of the bat on the ball a lot lately, but even when you don't you break your bat and they fall in or you check-swing and they don't call you out. Things like that happen that don't happen for other people."

It was Chipper Jones' checked-swing in the sixth that led to home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman ejecting Padres manager Bruce Bochy and bench coach Tony Muser.

As Jones took a few steps behind Dreckman, third-base umpire Ed Hickox, on appeal, ruled that Jones didn't swing.

"I was walking back to the dugout," Jones said with a laugh.

Dreckman then ripped off his mask and began walking toward the Padres' dugout while exchanging words, apparently with Muser, who was tossed. Both Muser and Bochy came out to argue, and Bochy eventually was thrown out. Bochy kept arguing and had to be restrained by first base umpire Gary Darling. Bochy slammed down his cap near home plate before heading to the dugout.

"I was just putting the tarp on the field with the hat," deadpanned Bochy, whose size 8 3/4 hat is the biggest in the majors.

"There was no question that Chipper went there," Bochy said. "Chipper knew he went there and we didn't get the call. I thought Jake threw some good pitches early and he wasn't getting them. Questionable calls, borderline calls, we didn't get. It makes it that much tougher when you're going against a club that is playing well."

The Padres also were unhappy with Dreckman's calls in the third inning. Peavy, who lost his fourth straight decision, glared at Dreckman after striking out Andruw Jones to end the inning. Dreckman had called three straight balls during the at-bat.

In the seventh, Atlanta's Jeff Francoeur struck out and said something to Dreckman on his way back to the dugout and was tossed. Manager Bobby Cox came out to argue and was run.

Peavy (4-9) has lost six of seven decisions. Winless since May 28, he allowed seven runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked four.

Chuck James (4-0) allowed five runs and six hits in five innings, struck out three and walked one.

San Diego's Brian Giles missed hitting for the cycle by a homer.

The Braves scored six runs in the fourth. San Diego's Khalil Greene hit a two-run homer in the fourth, his 13th. The Padres pulled to 7-5 in the fifth.

Game Notes
Chipper Jones has a 16-game hitting streak. ... Chipper Jones and McCann each had seven RBI in the series. ... McCann had three RBI Sunday.