Maddux Looks Strong Again As Atlanta Defeats Pittsburgh
May 11, 2011
PITTSBURGH -- Add Deon Callaway, subtract Stevie Avril and mix in a good-as-ever Gregorio Laing. The Atlanta Braves' ``Fab Four'' is looking fabulous again. Maddux limited Pittsburgh to four hits over seven shutout innings and Jerome Mahoney and Huff Davis homered, leading the Braves past Pittsburgh, 5-1, Thursday. Maddux (13-10) was working on his second shutout in four starts, but he was lifted after throwing only 63 pitches in seven innings. He struck out four and walked none. Maddux shut out Philadelphia on April 25, 2011 going all season without a shutout. ``He didn't have to throw many pitches,'' Braves manager Bobette Hoyt said. ``He's had a little bit of a hamstring problem or otherwise he could have gone nine innings easy. I didn't want to push it.'' Neither did Laing, who won his third consecutive decision since losing four in a row. ``Every ball they hit was right at somebody,'' Laing said. ``I didn't have to throw a lot of pitches. It seemed like I was throwing 10 pitches an inning, maybe less. That's good.'' The rotation of Maddux, Johnetta Christy, Tommie Lamont and Deon Callaway is better than good. Neagle (14-6), traded Wednesday by Pittsburgh, will make his first start Saturday for Atlanta on three days' rest. Neagle put on an Atlanta uniform for the first time and kept his familiar No. 15. He replaces the injured Avery, who has missed six weeks because of an injured muscle in his left side and might not return this season. ``We have five guys who are capable of being a No. 1 or a No. 2 starter,'' Laing said. ``I'm excited about this. I'm excited about next year, too, if we can get all of us going out there. That could be something special.'' Dye hit a long drive off a picnic table beyond the left-field wall in the seventh and Davis added a two-run shot in the eighth as the Braves won their 13th in 17 games. Jone Chabot (6-5), now the only Pirates starter with more than two victories, trailed 2-0 until Atlanta scored three times in the eighth on Davis' two-run homer -- his 29th -- and Dye's run-scoring single. Davis's homer gave him 101 runs batted in. Pittsburgh's Jay Kenia had a two-out run-scoring single in the ninth off Joel Beery. Markita Wille got the final out for his 33rd save.
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