Atlanta, GA - Kelly Johnson went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five runs batted in as the Atlanta Braves crushed the Houston Astros, 12-4, in the opener of a three-game set at Turner Field.
Brian McCann homered and knocked in four runs and Jeff Francoeur went deep and scored three runs for the Braves, who have won two in a row after a four-game skid.
Atlanta starter Chuck James (9-8) picked up the win after pitching an unimpressive five innings. The left-hander gave up four runs on six hits. Braves relievers Peter Moylan, Tyler Yates, Rafael Soriano and Jose Ascanio each tossed a hitless inning of relief.
Atlanta was busy before Tuesday’s non-waiver trading deadline, acquiring coveted first baseman Mark Teixeira, and pitchers Ron Mahay, Octavio Dotel and Royce Ring.
Lance Berkman homered and Craig Biggio knocked in a pair of runs for the Astros, who have lost three of four.
Houston starter Chris Sampson (7-8) was tagged for five runs on nine hits in just four innings of work.
After Berkman’s two-out homer in the first inning gave Houston the lead, the Braves answered with five straight runs to surge in front.
McCann homered with one out in the second to tie the game and Francoeur and Johnson followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Ageless wonder Julio Franco lofted a fly ball to center that plated Francoeur for a 2-1 Atlanta lead.
Andruw Jones’ sacrifice fly in the third made it 3-1 and Johnson’s two-run shot in the fourth inning handed the Braves a four-run advantage.
Houston rallied in the fifth as Eric Bruntlett led off with a walk and Eric Munson followed with a single. Pinch-hitter Chris Burke came through with a base hit to left that scored Bruntlett and Biggio’s double chased two runs home to bring the Astros within 5-4.
Bruntlett walked with two outs in the sixth and then tried to score as Johnson mishandled Munson’s groundout. However, Bruntlett was thrown out at home on the play and the Braves proceeded to blow the game open.
Francoeur led off the home half of the sixth with his 12th home run of the season and Atlanta put up four more runs in the seventh.
The Braves loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks before McCann lofted a fly ball to center to bring in a run. One out later, Johnson’s second blast of the game to make it 10-4.
McCann’s two-out, two-run double in the eighth accounted for the final score.
Game Notes
Edgar Renteria finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored for the Braves…Johnson tied a career high with four hits…Astros third baseman Ty Wigginton, acquired over the weekend from Tampa Bay, went 2-for-4 with a double…Wigginton’s arrival signaled the end of Morgan Ensberg in Houston. On Tuesday, the Astros shipped the struggling third baseman to San Diego for cash considerations.
