|
 ATLANTA (AP) - Andruw Jones remembered how to go deep. He remembered his familiar ritual when he touched home plate. And, now, the Atlanta Braves can only hope he keeps it up. On a night when rookie Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered twice, the slumping Jones provided the most welcome hit of all with a three-run shot that carried the Braves to a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.
Buddy Carlyle bounced back from a dismal outing to pitch seven strong innings, but the journeyman's performance took a backseat to Jones' first homer — heck, his first hit other than a single — in 2 1/2 weeks.
"He's one of the best players in the game," teammate Brian McCann said. "I know he's been struggling a little bit, but he's starting to put some better swings on the ball. It's only a matter of time before he starts hitting the ball and carrying us. Then, all this will be forgotten."
|