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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MONTREAL (AP) -- Andy Ashby is looking forward to returning to
the postseason.
Javier Lopez hit a three-run homer and the Atlanta Braves had 21
hits as they routed the Montreal Expos 14-5 Sunday and lowered
their magic number for clinching the NL East to four.
Ashby (12-12) won his fourth straight start as the Braves,
seeking their ninth division title in the last 10 seasons -- nobody won the division during the lockout year -- set season highs for
runs and hits and maintained a 3½-game lead over the second-place
Mets. Atlanta already is assured of at least a wild card berth.
"I'm excited. It's going to be fun," said Ashby, who went to
the World Series with San Diego in 1998. "The main thing is just
going out and giving us a chance to win. The offense gave us a big
lead and we just tried to go out and keep away from the big
inning."
After Monday's series finale, the Braves go to New York for a
three-game series. Any combination of Atlanta wins and Mets losses
totaling four would clinch the division for the Braves.
"When we've got the opportunity to score that many runs, we
need to take advantage of it," Lopez said. "That really gives the
whole team a push. That gets our motivation up, especially with the
series that's coming up."
Andruw Jones hit a three-run double and triple, and Keith
Lockhart went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Chipper Jones was 3-for-4
and Reggie Sanders was 3-for-5 with a two-run double.
Ashby (12-12) gave up five runs and nine hits in eight innings,
improving to 8-5 since Atlanta acquired him from Philadelphia on
July 12.
"The defense and the offense, since I've been here, has been
unbelievable," Ashby said. "These guys know how to play, they
know how to hit, and I think everything is starting to come
together now."
John Rocker, booed loudly when he entered the game, faced two
batters in the ninth, striking out one and allowing a single to
another.
Mike Thurman (4-8) lost his fourth straight decision, giving up
six runs and eight hits in five innings.
"I just couldn't find a consistent release point," Thurman
said. "It seemed like everything I threw out over the plate, they
hit hard."
Andruw Jones tripled in the first and scored on Chipper Jones'
sacrifice fly.
Montreal took a 3-1 lead in the bottom half on RBI doubles by
Andy Tracy and Jose Vidro, and Wilton Guerrero's run-scoring
single.
But Atlanta came right back in the second and took a 6-3 lead on
Keith Lockhart's two-run single and Andruw Jones' three-run double,
which gave him 99 RBIs.
Rafael Furcal homered in the sixth, his fourth of the season, to
make it 7-3, and the Braves tacked on three runs in the seventh,
when Sanders hit a two-run double and Lockhart blooped an RBI
double in front of Guerrero in left.
Montreal closed to 10-5 in the bottom half on Michael Barrett's
RBI single and Peter Bergeron's run-scoring grounder.
Lopez hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Steve Kline, and
Andres Galarraga added a run-scoring single in the ninth.
Game notes
The Braves beat Houston 13-5 on July 29. Atlanta had 17
hits twice this season, most recently on July 2 at the Mets. ...
The Expos are assured of falling short of one million fans at home
for the third straight season, and sixth time in the franchise's
32-year history. The game drew 11,350, raising Montreal's home
attendance to 919,332 with one game remaining at Olympic Stadium.
... Vidro has 49 doubles, five short of the Expos' record set by
Mark Grudzielanek in 1997.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Montreal Clubhouse
RECAPS
Baltimore 1
Boston 0
NY Yankees 6
Detroit 3
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Toronto 0
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Cleveland 0
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