Maddux Shuts Down Cards

The St. Louis Cardinals failed to get to Greg Maddux early. After that the four-time Cy Young winner was perfect.

Maddux won his eighth consecutive start and Chipper Jones hit his third homer in two games as the Atlanta Braves beat the Cardinals 4-1 Monday night.

"It was vintage Maddux. I don't know if it was his best stuff of the year, but it's about as good as you can pitch," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.

Maddux (18-6) allowed three hits, one run, no walks and struck out seven in his third complete game of the season. He got 16 outs on grounders and there was only one outfield putout.

"I threw good and the mistakes I made, I got away with," Maddux said.

After allowing a one-out single to Alberto Castillo in the third inning, the four-time Cy Young winner retired the last 23 batters.

"You could tell he was retiring so many guys in a row because (leadoff hitter Edgar) Renteria led off four times," Cox said.

Maddux, who has won 12 of his last 13 starts with one no-decision since June 25, hasn't lost since July 21. He has lowered his ERA from 5.02 on May 21 to 3.36.

"He has the ability to move the ball around and that makes it tough," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said.

"He's been doing this for years. He's one of the best," said Adam Kennedy, who had one of the hits off Maddux.

The Atlanta right-hander also handled Mark McGwire, who went 0-for-4, and is stuck on 54 home runs, fur behind Chicago's Sammy Sosa, who hit a solo shot earlier Monday and has 58 homers.

"I kept it in the park," Maddux said. "I think he missed a pitch his first time up (foul pop to first), but I pitched him pretty good after that."

Jones, who hit a pair of home runs off Randy Johnson in Sunday's 7-5 loss to Arizona, hit his 38th in the eighth inning for a 4-1 lead. He also singled in a run in the third inning off Garrett Stephenson (5-1).

Gerald Williams led off the Atlanta first with a solo home run, his 13th and the Braves added another run in the sixth on singles by Ryan Klesko and Andruw Jones and a sacrifice fly by Eddie Perez.

Stephenson, who had given up only one earned run in each of his last six starts, allowed nine hits and four runs in seven innings.

The Cardinals scored in the second on singles by Adam Kennedy and Castillo and a sacrifice fly by Joe McEwing.

Notes