Atlanta, GA – Among the best in baseball at scoring runs with two outs, the Atlanta Braves used three straight two-out hits to propel them to a win Friday.
Juan Francisco's game-winning, pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning helped the Braves down the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game set.
David Ross and Paul Janish both lined singles to right field off Brandon League (0-1) before Francisco poked a base hit through the hole on the left side to plate Ross.
"That was a great game, it was kind of a playoff atmosphere," Ross said. "Friday fireworks, we got a really good crowd."
Jason Heyward tied the game with a two-out, run-scoring single in Atlanta's two-run eighth inning.
The Braves are second in the National League in two-out runs.
After hitting a pair of homers on his bobblehead promotion Thursday, Chipper Jones belted another long ball Friday on his commemorative print night for Atlanta, which has won four straight games.
Tommy Hanson, activated from the disabled list Friday after dealing with a lower back strain, surrendered three runs on seven hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings.
Jonny Venters (5-3) picked up the win following a scoreless top of the 11th.
Andre Ethier smacked a two-run shot for the Dodgers, who have dropped two straight on the heels of a four-game winning streak.
"A loss is difficult, it hurts a little more when you have a lead, especially what we went through yesterday," League said.
LA's Chris Capuano fanned eight, but allowed three runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Jones, 1-for-13 in his career off Capuano coming in, led off the second inning and cracked a first-pitch fastball into the left-center field seats, ending Capuano's 13-inning scoreless streak.
Hanson pitched out of jams in the third, fourth and fifth innings to keep Atlanta in front by a run, but the Dodgers finally got to him in the sixth.
Mark Ellis pulled a leadoff double down the third-base line and two batters later, Ethier clobbered a two-run shot deep into the seats in right field, which gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. It was the first run allowed by the Braves in 20 innings.
The Dodgers added another run in the seventh.
Luis Cruz began the frame with a double, moved to third on Matt Treanor's groundout and came home two batters later when Shane Victorino lined a double over the head of Martin Prado in left field, extending the margin to 3-1.
Atlanta, though, tied the contest in the eighth.
Back-to-back singles to start the inning by Janish and pinch-hitter Reed Johnson put runners on first and second before Michael Bourn moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Ronald Belisario took over for Capuano on the mound and Janish came home on Prado's groundout to shortstop. Heyward then lined a single to center field to plate Johnson, knotting the contest at 3-3.
Game Notes
Victorino is 2-for-21 against Atlanta this season ... Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez had two hits, extending his multi-hit games streak to four ... Los Angeles was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, while Atlanta finished 2-for-7.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.