Millwood, Braves Rock Expos

For one day at least, the Atlanta Braves didn't miss Brian Jordan.

With their clean-up hitter confined to the bench because of an aching hand, the Braves inserted Freddy Garcia into the lineup Sunday and received immediate results.

Garcia homered in his first Atlanta at-bat to back the seven-hit pitching of Kevin Millwood as the Braves maintained their one-game lead in the NL East, beating the Montreal Expos 5-1.

The Braves lost slugger Andres Galarraga (cancer treatment) and closer Kerry Ligtenberg (elbow) before the season even began. Since then, catcher Javy Lopez and pitchers Rudy Seanez and Odalis Perez have sustained year-ending injuries.

Now it's Jordan, who took over the clean-up role from Galarraga and has driven in a career-high 106 runs.

Jordan's right hand has hurt since it was hit by a pitch from Montreal's Mike Thurman on June 22. The outfielder has tried to play with the pain, missing only seven of 149 games prior to Sunday, but slumped in recent weeks.

Since Sept. 3, Jorda is hitting .135 (7-for-52). His last homer came on Aug. 15.

"I'm having a good season, one of my best," he said. "It's just a shame I had to get this injury. When it really counts, I'm not at my best."

Finally, after meeting with manager Bobby Cox, Jordan decided it was time for a day off and maybe more.

"I'm injured," he said. "This is no longer a matter of being in pain and trying to play through it."

Asked if there was a possibility Jordan could be done for the season, Cox replied, "I don't know. I guess there is. We'll see."

The Braves, trying to win their eighth straight division title, kept their slim lead over the second-place New York Mets, who defeated Philadelphia 8-6.

The top two teams meet six times in the final 12 games of the regular season, beginning a three-game series Tuesday night at Turner Field.

"It's going to be fun," Greg Maddux said.

Fortunately for the Mets, they won't have to face Millwood, who pitched his second complete game and limited the Expos to a fifth-inning homer by Geoff Blum. Only 24, the right-hander surpassed his 17-8 mark of last season and is clearly the most effective starter on a staff that also includes Cy Young winners Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.

"His fastball was really good," Montreal's Rondell White said. "He kept it away, on the corners. I'd put him right there with those other guys, and he's only going to get better."

Garcia, acquired in a trade with the Pirates, played for the first time since reporting to Atlanta eight days earlier. He started in left field, while Gerald Williams shifted to right to take Jordan's normal spot.

Leading off the third, Garcia needed only one pitch to hit more homers than Jordan has in the past month, lining a pitch from Ted Lilly (0-1) into the left-field seats.

"Garcia's first game with us and he hits a home run on the first pitch," Cox said. "Maybe that's a good omen for us."

The Braves added two runs in the fourth. Jose Hernandez hit the first of his two run-scoring doubles, while Brian Hunter also got credit for an RBI double when Vladimir Guerrero misplayed a wind-blown popup to short right.

Hernandez doubled again in the sixth with two outs, scoring Andruw Jones frm first, and Braves added their final run with another gift from the Expos' defense in the seventh. Shortstop Blum botched an attempted pickoff throw at second, the ball sailing into center field while Gerald Williams came around to score on the two-base error.

Lilly, making his first major-league start after six relief appearances with the Expos, allowed five hits and four runs in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out seven.

"He was strong," Montreal manager Felipe Alou said. "We know this guy can pitch. He has a good shot at being a good starter."

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