ATLANTA — Tim Hudson honored college teammate Josh Hancock with another strong outing and Andruw Jones won it for the Braves with a three-run homer in the ninth inning, giving Atlanta a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
Pitching with a ‘‘JH’’ on the front of his jersey, Hudson allowed only four hits in eight innings though he didn’t get a decision.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kelly Johnson led off with a single, Chipper Jones walked and Andruw Jones hit a towering drive into the left-field seats off Antonio Alfonseca (1-1).
Chipper Jones also homered for the Braves.
Hudson was good friends with Hancock, the St. Louis pitcher who died early Sunday in a car crash. The two played together at Auburn in 1997, when Hudson was the Southeastern Conference player of the year and Hancock was a freshman. Together, they helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series.
While Hudson failed to improve to 4-0 for the first time in his career, he has clearly regained the form that made him one of baseball’s top starters in Oakland. He struggled last season for the Braves, going 13-12 with a career-worst 4.86 ERA.
This season, Hudson has lasted at least seven innings in each of his first six starts, not allowing more than three runs in any of them. His ERA is 1.40.
Hancock’s death wasn’t the only loss on Hudson’s mind. The right-hander’s long-ailing grandmother also died over the weekend, and he’ll be heading to Columbus on Tuesday for her funeral.
But Hudson put aside all the heartache for another quality effort, even chipping in with a run-scoring groundout that gave the Braves’ a short-lived 1-0 lead in the fifth.
Mike Gonzalez (1-0) picked up his first win for the Braves with a scoreless ninth. Acquired from Pittsburgh during the offseason, he moved back into his familiar last-inning role after Atlanta closer Bob Wickman went on the DL before the game.
Jon Lieber matched Hudson, allowing two runs (one earned run) in seven innings.
The Phillies starter surrendered seven hits and six walks but escaped a major jam with his final pitch, getting Andruw Jones to hit into an inning-ending double play with two runners on.
Then it was Brett Myers’ turn to work out of trouble. With runners at second and third with one out in the eighth, newcomer Willie Harris took a called third strike and pinch-hitter Brayan Pena grounded out weakly in front of home plate.
The Braves called up Harris from Triple-A Richmond and started him right away in left field after dealing Ryan Langerhans to Oakland the previous day.
Hudson didn’t allow a hit for 4 1-3 innings, getting all but one of his outs on grounders — a sure sign the sinker ball pitcher was on his game.
But Aaron Rowand finally broke through with a single in the fifth, and the Phillies strung together three hits in the sixth.
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino both singled with one out, Chase Utley tied it up with sacrifice fly to deep center and Ryan Howard followed with a two-out, run-scoring single to left that put the Phillies ahead 2-1.
But Chipper Jones quickly erased the deficit, leading off the bottom half with his eighth homer of the season.
Notes: Rowand left the game in the seventh with a stiff lower back. Michael Bourne came on as a pinch-hitter and finished out the game in center. ... Before this season, Hudson’s only other 3-0 start came with the A’s in 2004. ... Johnson is playing the leadoff role to perfection for the Braves. He also walked three times and raised his on-base percentage to .473.
Pitching with a ‘‘JH’’ on the front of his jersey, Hudson allowed only four hits in eight innings though he didn’t get a decision.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kelly Johnson led off with a single, Chipper Jones walked and Andruw Jones hit a towering drive into the left-field seats off Antonio Alfonseca (1-1).
Chipper Jones also homered for the Braves.
Hudson was good friends with Hancock, the St. Louis pitcher who died early Sunday in a car crash. The two played together at Auburn in 1997, when Hudson was the Southeastern Conference player of the year and Hancock was a freshman. Together, they helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series.
While Hudson failed to improve to 4-0 for the first time in his career, he has clearly regained the form that made him one of baseball’s top starters in Oakland. He struggled last season for the Braves, going 13-12 with a career-worst 4.86 ERA.
This season, Hudson has lasted at least seven innings in each of his first six starts, not allowing more than three runs in any of them. His ERA is 1.40.
Hancock’s death wasn’t the only loss on Hudson’s mind. The right-hander’s long-ailing grandmother also died over the weekend, and he’ll be heading to Columbus on Tuesday for her funeral.
But Hudson put aside all the heartache for another quality effort, even chipping in with a run-scoring groundout that gave the Braves’ a short-lived 1-0 lead in the fifth.
Mike Gonzalez (1-0) picked up his first win for the Braves with a scoreless ninth. Acquired from Pittsburgh during the offseason, he moved back into his familiar last-inning role after Atlanta closer Bob Wickman went on the DL before the game.
Jon Lieber matched Hudson, allowing two runs (one earned run) in seven innings.
The Phillies starter surrendered seven hits and six walks but escaped a major jam with his final pitch, getting Andruw Jones to hit into an inning-ending double play with two runners on.
Then it was Brett Myers’ turn to work out of trouble. With runners at second and third with one out in the eighth, newcomer Willie Harris took a called third strike and pinch-hitter Brayan Pena grounded out weakly in front of home plate.
The Braves called up Harris from Triple-A Richmond and started him right away in left field after dealing Ryan Langerhans to Oakland the previous day.
Hudson didn’t allow a hit for 4 1-3 innings, getting all but one of his outs on grounders — a sure sign the sinker ball pitcher was on his game.
But Aaron Rowand finally broke through with a single in the fifth, and the Phillies strung together three hits in the sixth.
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino both singled with one out, Chase Utley tied it up with sacrifice fly to deep center and Ryan Howard followed with a two-out, run-scoring single to left that put the Phillies ahead 2-1.
But Chipper Jones quickly erased the deficit, leading off the bottom half with his eighth homer of the season.
Notes: Rowand left the game in the seventh with a stiff lower back. Michael Bourne came on as a pinch-hitter and finished out the game in center. ... Before this season, Hudson’s only other 3-0 start came with the A’s in 2004. ... Johnson is playing the leadoff role to perfection for the Braves. He also walked three times and raised his on-base percentage to .473.
