Giles shines as Braves close in on title

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Powered by a two-run homer and three
RBIs by Marcus Giles, the Atlanta Braves closed in on a 14th
successive division title with a 5-3 win over the Florida
Marlins in National League play Sunday at Turner Field.

Atlanta swept the three-game series with the Marlins and
lead the NL East by five games over the Philadelphia Phillies
with six games remaining with the magic number to clinch at
two.

Florida took a 3-0 lead on an RBI single by Jeff Conine in
the first and run-scoring doubles by Carlos Delgado and Mike
Lowell in the third.

But the Braves rallied off A.J. Burnett and can clinch the
division at home in a three-game series against Colorado
starting Monday night.

“If I could pick any time for us to get hot, it would be
right now,” Giles said.

“I thought that all year we didn’t want to peak too early.
I think that’s been our problem in the past, that we’ve peaked
too early and then relaxed.”

Jeff Francoeur’s sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 3-1
and Giles hit his homer in the fifth before the Braves added a
pair of runs in the seventh to complete the comeback.

Giles’s sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout by Andruw Jones
cashed in the other Atlanta runs.

THREE HITS

Brian McCann had three hits for the Braves, who had seven
hits in the game, and Blaine Boyer (4-2) got one out in relief
to get credit for the win.

“They seize the opening and jump on it,” Florida manager
Jack McKeon said.

The Braves used six pitchers, including Kyle Farnsworth,
who pitched the ninth for his 10th save.

Burnett (12-12) allowed five runs — four earned — on six
hits in six-plus innings, striking out eight and walking four.

Conine had three of the Marlins eight hits.

In Cincinnati, Cory Lidle pitched seven solid innings as
the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Reds 6-3.

Lidle (12-11) allowed three runs, with two earned, on eight
hits, walking one and striking out four. Billy Wagner pitched
one inning for his 36th save.

Randy Keisler (2-1) pitched five innings, allowing four
runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out five to take
the loss. Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Reds.

TWO-RUN HOMER

n Chicago, Jeromy Burnitz hit a two-run homer to help the
Cubs beat the Houston Astros 3-2, cutting the Astros lead in
the NL wild card to one game over Philadelphia.

Jerome Williams (6-9) pitched seven innings, allowing two
runs on four hits, walking six and striking out three for the
win. Ryan Dempster pitched one inning for his 31st save. Derrek
Lee homered for the Cubs.

Mike Gallo (0-1) allowed one run on one hit and walking two
to take the loss.

In Denver, Randy Winn homered as the San Francisco Giants
beat the Colorado Rockies 6-2.

In Los Angeles, Oscar Robles hit a two-run homer as the
Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2.

In Milwaukee, Jeff Suppan pitched eight strong innings as
the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Brewers 2-0.

In Washington, Mike Piazza hit two homers as the New York
Mets beat the Nationals 6-5.

In Phoenix, Chad Tracy singled in the bottom of the 10th as
the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 4-3.

Jose Valverde (3-4) pitched one inning and striking out one
for the win. Joe Randa hit a three-run homer for the
Diamondbacks.

Akinori Otsuka (2-8) allowed one run on two hits, walking
one to take the loss.