Maddux Saved By Braves 'O'

The Atlanta Braves committed four errors, they allowed five unearned runs and Greg Maddux had a rare shaky start.

Add it all up, and the Braves beat the Florida Marlins 8-7 Saturday night.

"We played well, they didn't and they won," Marlins manager John Boles said. "You score six runs against Maddux and you're probably going to be in good shape."

"I thought it was a terrific game. Now, (Braves manager) Bobby Cox won't say so because his team uncharacteristically made four errors."

Maddux (3-0) won despite allowing six runs two earned and 10 hits in five innings. He also made two of the errors, leading to three unearned runs.

"When you give up six runs, you probably should lose," Maddux said. "It happens sometimes. The bullpen was outstanding. They came in and did the job. The offense was great. I tried to mess it up, but they wouldn't let me."

Maddux helped key Atlanta's comeback from a 6-3 deficit with his bat. Maddux's hit an RBI triple, the first three-bagger of his career, and scored on Gerald Williams' sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 6-5 in the fourth.

"They were getting Maddux early," said the Braves' Brian Jordan, who went 3-for-4 with a homer. "He was giving his all, even with the bat. It shows that we're a really good team, the fact that we can come back when we're down."

Atlanta added two more runs in the fifth when Andruw Jones singled, stole second and scored on Hunter's RBI double off reliever Brian Edmondson (0-1). After a wild pitch, Hunter scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Walt Weiss.

"I started making bad pitches right from the get go," Edmondson said.

Hunter added an RBI single in the seventh to make it 8-6.

John Rocker allowed an unearned run in the ninth when Alex Gonzalez reached on a two-base error by Chipper Jones and scored opinch-hitter Bruce Aven's RBI single. Rocker struck out the side in the ninth for his first save.

Atlanta jumped to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame on solo home runs by Bret Boone, Jordan and Andruw Jones.

Florida took scored five runs in the first two innings with help of shoddy Braves defense. Luis Castillo singled in the first and later scored on Hunter's error at first base.

The Marlins added four runs, three of which were unearned, in the second. Preston Wilson tripled and scored on Kevin Orie's single. A throwing error by Maddux put runners on first and second and two outs later Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run double. Kotsay followed with an RBI single to make it 5-3.

"I thought I threw a lot of pitches that I've gotten outs on in the past," Maddux said. "You've got to tip your hat and you have to pitch a little better next time. It's a little of both. I wasn't as sharp as I could have been, but they also hit some good pitches."

The Marlins made it 6-3 in the third when Todd Dunwoody singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jorge Fabregas.

Florida starter Jesus Sanchez gave up five runs and seven hits in three-plus innings.

Notes: The Braves had allowed one unearned run before Saturday. ... Atlanta has scored 42 runs in Maddux's four starts this season. ... Aven is 3-for-6 with five RBIs as a pinch-hitter. ... Florida's Alex Fernandez threw from a mound for the first time since going on the disabled list April 12 with inflammation in his right rotator cuff. Fernandez, who threw 50 pitches, reported experiencing no pain. He is expected to come off the DL on Tuesday and start against the Cubs. ... Maddux, who won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove Award last year, was charged with two errors for the second time in his career. The only other time came last July 11 at Florida. ... The Marlins recognized the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's record setting 715th home run by proclaiming Saturday as "Hank Aaron Night." ... Braves coach Ned Yost missed the game due to the death of his father. The elder Yost passed away from cancer a few hours after Atlanta's April 21 game in Los Angeles.

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