Braves Win 9th Straight Game

Kevin Millwood and Darren Oliver were able to appreciate each other's performances Saturday.

"I could tell it was going to be a low-scoring game," Millwood said after becoming the first Atlanta pitcher to throw 10 innings in six years as the Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in 13 innings Saturday.

The Braves have won a season-high nine straight. The Cardinals have lost five in a row and fell four games below .500 for the first time this season.

Oliver pitched nine shutout innings himself before leaving for a pinch-hitter.

"He pitched a better game than I did," Oliver said. "We were both in a groove but he had the best stuff."

Millwood held the Cardinals hitless for 5 2-3 innings. Even so, he said he wasn't confident at the start.

"I only threw five pitches in the first inning, but I wasn't happy with the location on any of them," Millwood said.

Millwood allowed only two singles and struck out nine. His outing was the longest by a Braves pitcher since Greg Maddux also went 10 innings on April 30, 1993 like Millwood, Maddux got a no-decision against St. Louis.

Oliver allowed four hits and struck out six.

The win was the 1,500th for manager Bobby Cox, who said he didn't know he had reached a milestone.

"This is the first I knew of it, when you guys brought it up," Cox said.

Cox is in 16th place on the career list behind the Cardinals Tony La Russa.

Millwood did not allow a hit until the sixth. He combined with Mike Remlinger (6-1) and John Rocker on a four-hitter.

The Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs in the 13th, but Rocker got Edgar Renteria on a grounder for his 30th save in 35 chances.

Mark McGwire went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts as Atlanta extended its scoreless streak against the Cardinals to 18 innings.

The Cardinals made four errors, two of them in the 13th inning. Eddie Perez opened with a double off Lance Painter (3-5) and Walt Weiss sacrificed.

relieved and Gerald Williams hit an RBI single for a 1-0 lead. Williams stole second and continued to third when second baseman Adam Kennedy missed the throw for an error.

Chipper Jones grounded to first, and McGwire threw the ball over Bottalico's head for his second error of the game, allowing Williams to score. After a balk and a walk, Jose Hernandez hit an RBI single.

Millwood, who walked one, retired the first 10 batters and held the Cardinals hitless until Renteria's infield single with two outs in the sixth.

Jones knocked down Renteria's hard grounder to third, but his throw was late.

Craig Paquette had the only other hit against Millwood when he led off the ninth with a single.

Oliver retired 12 straight batters before Hernandez doubled with two outs in the seventh.

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