Braves beat Rangers at their own game

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox spent

four years managing in the American League, yet he doesn't remember

many games like this one.

Every Braves starter either drove in a run or scored by the

third inning as they sent Chan Ho Park to the shortest start of his

career, then held on for a 13-7 victory over the Texas Rangers on

Friday night.

Atlanta scored five in the first, four in the second and two in

the third, tying its season high for runs. The Braves then added

two more in the ninth, when they upped their hits to a season-best

19.

''Whew!'' Cox said, shaking his head. ''I'd rather do things the

NL way, 3-1.''

Park, making his sixth start of the season after signing a $65

million, five-year contract last winter, gave up nine runs on eight

hits while getting only four outs. He lasted just 49 pitches on a

night when the Rangers, who've lost 10 of 14 and 16 of 22, were

hoping to rest their bullpen.

Park's ERA rose from 8.28 to 10.94. He also gave up his sixth

home run in 26 innings.

''I know he's better than this,'' Texas manager Jerry Narron

said. ''He couldn't throw the ball where he wanted. He left the

ball over the plate and he got hit. I can't put it any simpler than

that.''

About the only good news for Texas was Ivan Rodriguez returning

from the disabled list and going 4-for-4 with a walk, scoring twice

and driving in a run. Rodriguez, who was out with back problems,

doubled in his first two at-bats since April 14.

''I felt pretty good at the plate,'' he said.

Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, Darren Bragg and Rafael Furcal all

had three hits for Atlanta. Chipper Jones and Bragg each scored

three runs, and Vinny Castilla drove in three.

Gary Sheffield, the designated hitter, was the only Braves

starter who didn't have a hit, but he drove in a run with a

bases-loaded walk.

Bragg, who played most of his career in the AL, felt right at

home in the high-scoring game.

''You just try to hit hard and hope for the balls to go through,

and tonight we found a lot of holes,'' he said. ''It's different

for any NL team to play AL-style ball. But you just go hard for

nine inning and hope you come out on top.''

Andruw Jones went 3-for-5 with a walk and drove in Atlanta's

first two runs with a double. Matt Franco hit the Braves' only home

run, his first of the season, and Furcal went 3-for-5 with two runs

scored.

Atlanta's pitching wasn't as productive. Starter Damian Moss was

given a huge lead but couldn't make it through the fifth inning for

the win. It took four relievers to preserve the Braves' fourth

straight victory and 10th in 12 games.

Moss was pulled after 4 2-3 innings when he gave up a two-out,

two-run single to Herbert Perry that made it 11-5. Reliever Kevin

Gryboski loaded the bases with a hit batter and a walk, then

allowed a two-run double to No. 9 hitter Michael Young.

''Sometimes it's hard to pitch with that type of lead,'' Cox

said. ''We tried to tell Mossy to imagine it's 1-0.''

Chris Hammond, who came on in the sixth with runners on second

and third and one out, was credited with the win -- his third in as

many appearances. Hammond (4-2) allowed two hits in 2 2-3 scoreless

innings.

''Now that it's over, I enjoyed pitching against people like

that,'' he said, smiling.

Texas slugger Juan Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two

RBI and a run scored. He has 10 hits in his last 15 at-bats.

Park (2-3) retired two of the first three batters, then fell

apart after Chipper Jones ended a long at-bat by fisting a single

just past the infield.

The next three batters all drove in runs on 2-0 pitches,

starting with Andruw Jones' double. Castilla was next with a single

that ended an 0-for-15 slump against Park, then Franco hit his

first homer since September 2000.

Keith Lockhart opened the second with a double, and Furcal beat

out a bunt for a single. Bragg doubled them both home with a drive

off the glove of left fielder Jason Romano.

Sheffield followed with a drive to the base of the wall in the

deepest part of center field that turned into the first out. Then

Chipper Jones doubled, and Park was done.

Game notes
Park had allowed two runs or less in three of his last four

starts against Atlanta dating to 2000. He hadn't given up so many

runs since July 1999 against San Francisco. ... Rodriguez took the

roster spot of OF Rusty Greer, who went on the 15-day disabled list

with back problems. The move was retroactive to Tuesday. ... It was

Moss' second straight rocky start after allowing two runs or less

in seven straight.