Marlins Stop Braves Celebration

Jesus Sanchez, a 23-year-old rookie who had not won since Aug. 11, kept the Atlanta Braves from clinching their seventh consecutive division title Sunday.

"It's good for me because I know the season is almost over, and I have to finish strong for next year," Sanchez said after the Florida Marlins' 6-5 win. "What kind of team is the Atlanta Braves? One of the best in the National League."

The Braves' loss, coupled with the New York Mets' 1-0 win at Montreal, means Atlanta must wait until Monday's game with Philadelphia to try again for the NL East title.

Sanchez (7-8), who matched a career high by striking out 10, including a team-record seven in a row in the first three innings, was chased with a 6-2 lead after loading the bases in the eighth. He gave up five hits and was charged with five earned runs, three of which were scored off Antonio Alfonseca and Vic Darensbourg.

Atlanta trimmed the lead to 6-5 in the eighth and had runners on first and third with two outs when reliever Darensbourg ended the threat by striking out Tony Graffanino.

Matt Mantei pitched a perfect ninth to record his eighth save.

Odalis Perez (0-1) ruined a one-hit shutout that Braves starter Greg Maddux compiled through six innings. Maddux, who was removed before the start of the seventh after straining a muscle under his right armpit, said he plans to make his next start at Arizona on Friday.

Manager Bobby Cox agreed.

"I think he'll be fine," Cox said. "Something tightened up under his armpit. I think he'll be all right in a couple of days. It's nothing in the shoulder or elbow."

The Marlins scored four runs in the seventh off Perez ad two runs on no hits off Adam Butler in the eighth. Both Braves relievers are left-handed rookies.

"We didn't hold them," Cox said. "They got to us in one inning. Those are the same guys who've been throwing well."

With no outs and leading 1-0 in the seventh, Perez gave up a two-run double to Derrek Lee and a two-run homer to Kevin Orie, his seventh this year and his fifth with the Marlins. Perez didn't record an out but was bailed out by Norm Charlton, who finished the seventh.

The Marlins went up 6-2 in the eighth when Butler threw poorly to first on a sacrifice attempt by Mark Kotsay. The error allowed Tony Dunwoody, who had been hit by a pitch, to score from second.

The next batter, John Wehner, drove in Edgar Renteria, who had walked, with a sacrifice fly to left.

After Sanchez departed, the Braves scored twice off Alfonseca on a bases-loaded walk by Andres Galarraga and on a sacrifice fly by Andruw Jones. They cut the lead to 6-5 when Klesko singled off Darensbourg.

"They came out of it all right," Marlins manager Jim Leyland said of his relievers. "That's what you get with kids when you've got young starters and a young bullpen. That makes it tough."

Sanchez, a native of the Dominican Republic, had endured a span of 20 starts that included seven losses and 10 no-decisions, but he beat the Braves for the second consecutive time. He said his curveball was responsible for his 10 strikeouts.

"Last year in Double-A, they asked me why I didn't throw a curveball," Sanchez said. "I told them it's because I have a good slider."

Maddux, who was seeking his 18th win for the seventh time since 1988, had been uncustomarily ineffective in his last two starts, but sailed through six innings Sunday. He gave up only one hit, walked two and struck out four. Maddux held the Marlins hitless until the fifth inning.

Andruw Jones became the fourth Brave this year to hit 30 homers, joining Andres Galarraga, Chipper Jones and Javier Lopez, when he hit a solo shot to center in the seventh. The Braves are now the sixth team in major league history to have four players with 30 or more homers.

Andruw Jones, who cut the lead to 6-4 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, also became the youngest player in Braves franchise history to hit 30 in one season.

The game's first run came from the hot bat of Gerald Williams, who led off the fourth with a homer, his eighth of the year. Williams ended the series with three homers and six RBI. He went 7-for-12 in the series.

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