Fri May 16 23:27:19 2008

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Kotsay's RBI double puts Braves past A's

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Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Mark Kotsay doubled in the winning run with two outs in the eighth, lifting the Atlanta Braves over the Oakland Athletics, 3-2, in the opener of a three-game interleague set at Turner Field.

Chipper Jones was 2-for-3, scored the winning run and walked while Brian McCann went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI for Atlanta, which was coming off a loss and a 2-5 road trip.

Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens allowed two runs -- both unearned on his own throwing error -- in five innings, on eight hits and three walks.

Oakland starter Dana Eveland was cruising until the sixth, when he allowed his only two runs of the night, and left after 5 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits and three walks, and struck out four.

Bobby Crosby had three hits and Ryan Sweeney was 2-for-4, scoring a run for Oakland, which dropped its fourth straight and sixth of its past seven.

The A's have scored a total of four runs in their last four games.

Alan Embree (1-2) came on for the A's in the eighth and allowed a leadoff single to Jones. Embree retired the next two batters before McCann ripped a single to right that moved Jones to third. Kotsay doubled to the gap in right to plate Jones for the one-run edge.

Manny Acosta (2-1) who entered in the eighth inning, set down the A's in order to earn the win and make Kotsay's RBI hold up as the game-winner. In two innings of work, Acosta allowed one hit and struck out one.

Oakland got things started in the second with a single from Kurt Suzuki. Sweeney doubled to center, but Suzuki was thrown out at the plate on a relay throw from Omar Infante. Donnie Murphy walked and Eveland then put down a bunt that Jurrjens threw away, allowing Sweeney to score and Murphy to move to third. Crosby laced a single to right to plate Murphy, though Eveland was thrown out at the plate by Jeff Francoeur to end the inning.

Atlanta finally broke through in the sixth against Eveland. Francoeur stroked a two-out single to left to plate Infante, and McCann followed with a double off the right field wall to bring in Francoeur. It tied the game at 2-2 and chased Eveland from the game.

Joey Devine came on to strike out pinch-hitter Kotsay to end the inning.

Devine stayed in for the seventh and issued a leadoff walk to Gregor Blanco, who stole second and moved to third on a groundout with two away. Devine fought through an 11-pitch at-bat to get Infante swinging and keep the game tied.

Game Notes

Jones was back in the lineup after missing a game with a groin injury; he singled twice and walked in four at-bats to up his major league-leading average to .423...Saturday's scheduled starters are Tim Hudson (6-2) for Atlanta and Rich Harden (1-0) for Oakland...The Braves opened an 11-game homestand in 11 days, and after the Oakland series, they will host the Mets and Diamondbacks...The Braves were 4-11 in interleague play last season and Oakland ended with a 10-8 record.