Springer Out Duels Maddux

Lately the Atlanta Braves just can't win, and against Dennis Springer they couldn't even score.

The journeyman knuckleballer outpitched Greg Maddux with a seven-hitter Wednesday night to help the Florida Marlins win 2-0, sending the Braves to their fifth consecutive defeat.

The losing streak is the Braves' longest since they dropped six in a row Sept. 8-14, 1996.

"Something like this is not going to happen that often," Maddux said. "I think we'll come to the park a little hungrier tomorrow."

Despite the slump, Atlanta began the night with the best record in the National League. The Marlins have baseball's worst record.

"It's nice for us to win any time," manager John Boles said. "But it makes you feel especially good because the Braves are the class of the National League and have been for some time, and Maddux is a future Hall of Famer."

Maddux (10-6), who had won four consecutive decisions, lost despite pitching his first complete game of the year. He gave up nine hits, walked one and struck out three.

Preston Wilson did most of Florida's damage. He scored one run, drove in the other and went 2-for-4, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.

"Maddux pitched well," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He could have easily had a shutout just like the other guy."

Springer (5-10) mixed knuckleballs with an occasional 80-mph fastball and at least one slider, which Brian Jordan grounded into a double play.

"You're facing Maddux and the Atlanta Braves, and you just don't want too much damage to happen," Springer said.

He walked two, struck out three and lowered his ERA to 4.00. The 34-year-old right-hander has both of the Marlins' complete-game shutouts this year, douling his career total. He beat Tampa Bay 10-0 on June 6.

"I was really aggressive with the knuckler tonight," he said. "For the most part it was tumbling downward."

"Whatever it was, it was funky," said Maddux, who went 0-for-3. "The guy threw a good game."

Springer retired 11 of the final 12 batters, and Atlanta went down 1-2-3 in the ninth, when he threw only knucklers.

But the Braves had their chances early, with one hit in each of the first six innings. Their best threat came in the third, when they had runners at the corners with one out, but Jordan's double-play grounder ended the inning. Ryan Klesko led off the second with a double but was stranded.

"We hit a ton of balls good," Cox said. "Nothing fell."

Florida took a 1-0 lead in the second. Wilson hit a towering double off the top of the scoreboard, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Mike Redmond's single.

The Marlins added a run in the sixth on singles by Danny Bautista, Mark Kotsay and Wilson.

Springer's knuckler did the rest.

"He either has it or he doesn't," Boles said. "Tonight he had a good one from the beginning."

Notes

• The temperature was 90 degrees when the game began at 7:05 p.m.
• Rookies Bruce Aven, Wilson, Alex Gonzalez and Kevin Millar rank 1-2-3-4 on the Marlins in RBI.
• Aven, still bothered by a sore hamstring, was limited to pinch-hitting duty.
• Florida's Livan Hernandez, the subject of trade talks, is 2-4 with a 6.15 ERA in 10 starts since June 1.
• Marlins reliever Vic Darensbourg has a 10.01 ERA in his past 29 appearances.
• The Braves' Dayton Moore has been promoted to assistant director of scouting and player development.
• Maddux fell to 9-3 lifetime against the Marlins.

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