<
>

Surging Braves sweep Brewers behind Chipper Jones' 3-run home run

ATLANTA -- Chipper Jones wants to relish the highlights in his final season.

His first home game earned a special place on that list.

Jones hit a three-run homer in his return after missing two games, Brandon Beachy pitched seven strong innings and the surging Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

Jason Heyward also homered for the Braves, who have won five straight after losing their first four games. Beachy gave up three hits and one unearned run in seven innings.

Jones, whose 40th birthday is April 24, had arthroscopic surgery on March 26 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He missed the first two games of the series after having the knee drained on Friday.

He hit what he called a hanging curve ball from Chris Narveson for the three-run homer in the third inning that gave the Braves the lead.

"It was a pretty cool moment," said Jones, who announced in spring training he will retire after the season. "This year is going to be filled with a lot of moments, I hope. I've had two so far."

Jones has two homers in only three games. After missing the first four games of the season while recovering from the surgery, he homered in his first game back on Tuesday night in Houston.

"It's just amazing," Beachy said. "He just had his knee drained and comes up today with a big three-run homer. ... It's just huge having him out there."

Narveson gave up five runs in four innings for the Brewers, who have lost four straight. Jonathan Lucroy homered and drove in three runs.

Jones' three-run homer in the third drove in Beachy, who walked, and Martin Prado, who doubled to left.

Jones turned on the first pitch, hitting a fat curve ball over the plate.

"You're trying to keep him off-balance," Narveson said. "That came back over the plate when we were trying to get it away. Obviously he put a good swing on it. He punishes mistakes."

Jones said he savored his 456th career homer.

"Just running around the bases I was thinking to myself man, this is pretty awesome," he said. "Coming back and getting the reception from my teammates and the fans was pretty special."

Heyward added his homer high and deep in the right-field seats in the fourth.

Beachy (1-1) became Atlanta's second straight starter to pitch at least seven innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out six and walked two batters. Mike Minor gave up two hits and one unearned run in 7 1/3 innings in the Braves' 2-1 win on Saturday night.

Milwaukee's first run came after Braves left fielder Prado, fighting the sun, dropped Aramis Ramirez's flyball to open the second inning. Ramirez advanced to second on the play and scored on Lucroy's two-out single to center.

Beachy gained momentum by striking out Ramirez and Hart with runners on first and second in the third inning.

The Braves scored one run in the first off Narveson (1-1). Michael Bourn doubled, moved to third on Prado's sacrifice and scored on Brian McCann's line drive to right field.

The Braves loaded the bases in the eighth against Brewers closer John Axford, who had not pitched since Wednesday. After Uggla walked, first baseman Mat Gamel bobbled a grounder by Freddie Freeman for an error. Weeks added a throwing error on the play, making a poor toss toward first.

Axford walked Heyward to load the bases and was pulled after pinch-hitter Eric Hinske's two-run single to right.

The Brewers trailed 7-1 before scoring three runs in the ninth off Chad Durbin. After back-to-back doubles by Ryan Braun and Corey Hart drove in one run, Lucroy hit a two-run homer.

Lucroy had a run-scoring single in the second inning for the Brewers' first run.

The Brewers have an off day before opening a nine-game homestand.

"We're not playing the type of game that we want to play," said manager Ron Roenicke. "On both ends. Pitching and offensively, we're just not doing the things that we need to do.

"We've got to kick it in gear a little bit earlier than the ninth inning. ... If we play like this we're going to get beat everywhere. We can't continue like this."

Game notes
Jackie Robinson's grandson, Jesse Sims, was on the field for a pregame ceremony as the Braves celebrated the 65th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier. Players on each team wore Robinson's No. 42. ... Brewers SS Alex Gonzalez, who left the team after Friday's game, and his wife, Johanna, had a baby boy, Axel David, on Sunday morning. Gonzalez is expected to join the Brewers Tuesday in Milwaukee. .... The Braves open a three-game home series against the Mets on Monday night. Tommy Hanson will face New York's Dillon Gee. ... The Brewers open a home series against the Dodgers on Tuesday night, when Yovanni Gallardo faces Chad Billingsley. ... Durbin has allowed homers in each of his three appearances.