Atlanta Stuns Yanks In 9th

Andruw Jones is developing quite a fondness for Yankee Stadium.

Three years ago, he homered twice in Game 1 of the World Series, becoming the youngest player to hit a home run in a Series game.

On Friday night, he connected for two more homers. He hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and a go-ahead, three-run homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth that gave the Atlanta Braves a 10-7 victory over the New York Yankees.

"I like the stadium, the way the fans root against you," Jones said.

Ryan Klesko homered twice and went 4-for-5 with four RBI, including a game-tying single in the ninth off Rivera (2-3)

Chipper Jones added a solo homer as the Braves overcame Greg Maddux's quickest unscheduled exit in three years and beat New York for the second straight night.

"That was a big win for us," Maddux said. "We beat a really good closer tonight."

Before last Saturday, the Yankees had won 124 straight games when they led after eight innings. But now they -- and Rivera -- have wasted two ninth-inning leads in a four-game span.

"What happened tonight, I had no control," Rivera said. "That's baseball. It happens."

Rivera, who blew a save for the third time in four appearances and the fourth time in 27 chances overall, hadn't pitched since last Saturday's wild 10-9 loss to the Mets, when Matt Franco hit a two-run single off him with two outs in the ninth.

"When you have the lead going into the ninth, and we have a closer like we have, you expect i to be over," Chili Davis said.

This time, Rivera walked Chipper Jones with one out in the ninth, then gave up singles to Brian Jordan and Klesko. One out later, Andruw Jones drove a fastball over the left-field fence, sending the Yankees to their fourth loss in five games.

"He looked like he might have been a little tentative tonight," Yankees manager Joe Torre said of his closer. "Of course, a lot of that may be just a feel for not being out there for a while."

Russ Springer (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning, and John Rocker got three straight outs for his 18th save in 22 chances, extending Atlanta's winning streak to four.

Maddux was knocked out after 3.1 innings, but avoided a decision when Klesko hit his second home run of the game, a two-run homer in the fifth off Orlando Hernandez that put Atlanta ahead 6-5. Hernandez gave up four homers for the first time in his career.

Derek Jeter then tied it at 6 in the sixth off Mike Remlinger with his 15th homer. Bernie Williams tripled into the right-field corner leading off the seventh, a ball that eluded Jordan and hit the wall on the foul line. Tino Martinez followed with a sacrifice fly.

Umpires, who have said they will resign Sept. 2 in protest of their treatment by baseball, were booed for the second straight night as they walked on the field.

Maddux talked to himself after plate umpire Jim Evans called a 1-2 pitch to Scott Brosius outside in the fourth. Evans, thinking he was talking to him, started to the mound but Braves manager Bobby Cox quickly came to the plate.

Evans got into two disputes with Torre a night earlier.

"I kind of saw him come out of his crouch," Maddux said. "I kind of turned my back thinking, 'What do I throw next?' That pitch probably just barely missed."

Maddux, who gave up a two-run single on the next pitch, allowed five runs and nine hits. It was his quickest unscheduled departure since June 17, 1996, when he gave up seven runs and 11 hits in 3.1 innings at Colorado's Coors Field. He pitched two shutout innings at Montreal on Sept. 28, 1996, then left as the Braves set up their rotation for the playoffs.

"Maddux didn't get the pitches he wanted, and as a result, he had to throw the ball over the plate," Davis said.

Maddux's ERA rose from 3.40 to 3.66. Coming in, he had allowefour earned runs in 41.2 innings, lowering his ERA from 4.64.

"They had a good game plan and they got me," Maddux said.

Notes

• Klesko has 15 homers this season, and nine multihomer games in his career. Andruw Jones has two multihomer games this season and 18 in his career.
• Yankees OF Shane Spencer is going to Florida for a few days to get back in shape. Spencer was hospitalized and went on the DL on July 3, a day after he left a game because of dizziness. He is eligible to be activated Sunday.
• Saturday's series finale is a sellout.

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