Braves Win Again In 9th

Howard Battle, a 27-year-old rookie in his 10th year of professional baseball, was the Atlanta Braves' unlikely hero Tuesday night.

"You never know where the hits are going to come from," Chipper Jones after Battle singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning, giving Atlanta a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Terry Mulholland and Mike Remlinger (7-1) combined on a six-hitter for Atlanta, which began the night 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place New York in the NL East.

"It definitely feels great," Battle said. "I know my mom was watching on TV, and I know she's proud of me."

Atlanta, seeking its eighth straight division title, has won 14 of 17 games.

"It was a huge hit," manager Bobby Cox said. "Every game, every swing, every hit is important at this time of the year."

Mark McGwire went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts and is hitless in 12 at-bats. He has 54 homers, four behind Chicago's Sammy Sosa, the major league leader.
Darren Oliver (7-9) lost despite his second complete game of the season, scattering nine hits and allowing two earned runs.

Jose Hernandez singled with two outs in the ninth and pinch-runner Otis Nixon advanced on Brian Hunter's single. Eddie Perez loaded the bases with a walk.

Battle, recalled from Triple-A Richmond on Aug. 30, then delivered his second straight pinch-hit since his return. He had gone 0-for-2 in his first two at-bats with Atlanta.

"It's a shame. That was a horrible way to lose it," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "It's unbelievable. It's almost cruel."

Remlinger struck out four in two scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

Placido Polanco, recalled from Triple-A Memphis earlier in the day, put St. Louis ahead in the first when he led off the game with his first homer of the season. Chipper Jones' sacrifice fly tied it in the bottom half.

Oliver's RBI single put the Cardinals ahead in the second, but Atlanta retied it in the fourth when shortstop Luis Ordaz made a double error on Jose Hernandez's grounder. Brian Jordan scored from second when Ordaz booted a grounder, then threw the ball away.

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