Maddux Wins 15th To Lead Braves

Jack McKeon had no trouble describing Greg Maddux's latest masterpiece.

"Maddux

"He carved us up," McKeon said. "He didn't give us anything good to hit."

"You keep saying the same thing over and over and its sounds like a recording," Atlanta Braves' manager Bobby Cox said. "He was absolutely in command."

The way he was pitching, Maddux didn't need much help from the offense, but he got plenty from Andruw Jones, who homered twice.

Maddux (15-5) walked none and struck out six for his 199th career victory. The four-time Cy Young Award winner has 28 career shutouts and 89 complete games, including nine this season.

He lowered his major-league-leading ERA to 1.53, and needed just 92 pitches to finish the shutout in a tidy 2 hours, 5 minutes.

"You're always glad to throw a shutout," Maddux said. "You got to pitch good and get some breaks and I did. Shutouts are great. They don't come around too often."

Andres Galarraga added his 34th homer for the Braves.

Jones gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the second inning by hitting the first pitch from Mike Remlinger (6-12) over the center-fielfence for his 18th homer.

It was Jones' fourth homer and seventh hit in 12 career at-bats against Remlinger, who allowed three runs and seven hits in six-plus innings.

Jones hit his second homer off reliever John Hudek in the eighth. It came after Chipper Jones was safe when left fielder Dmitri Young dropped his fly ball for an error.

"I'm swinging the bat good right now," Andruw Jones said. "It's just all about mistakes. If you get a mistake, you hit it. It's tough to hit a pitcher's pitch."

Galarraga extended his hitting streak to nine games with his homer in the sixth inning.

The Braves scored an unearned run to take a 2-0 lead in the third.

With Walt Weiss at first and Chipper Jones at second following singles, Galarraga forced Jones at second, but shortstop Barry Larkin's return throw to first sailed into the dugout, allowing Weiss to score.

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