SBNation.com - Battle Of N.L.'s Best: Braves Shut Out Padres Behind Tim Hudson's Seven Stronghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2010-07-22T16:11:06-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13468892010-07-22T16:11:06-04:002010-07-22T16:11:06-04:00Battle Of N.L.'s Best: Braves Shutout Padres Behind Tim Hudson's Seven Strong
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<p><b><i>For more, check out our Braves blog, <a href="http://www.talkingchop.com">Talking Chop</a>, and our Padres blog, <a href="http://www.gaslampball.com">Gaslamp Ball</a>.</i></b></p>
<p>Atlanta, GA (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/54568/recap/109754">Sports Network</a>) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/998/Tim_Hudson">Tim Hudson</a> tossed seven strong innings and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/444/Alex_Gonzalez">Alex Gonzalez</a> continued to swing a hot bat with a four-hit, two-RBI afternoon, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/ATL">Braves</a> blanked San Diego, 8-0, to conclude a three-game set at Turner Field.</p>
<p>Hudson (10-5) shut down the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/SDP">Padres</a> to the tune of four hits and one walk while fanning four. He moved to 5-0 in nine career appearances (eight starts) versus San Diego in bouncing back from his worst start of the season.</p>
<p>Gonzalez, meanwhile, has hit safely in six of his seven games since coming to Atlanta in a trade with Toronto and made a pair of defensive gems behind Hudson Thursday, as the Braves took two of three in the series.</p>
<p>Jayson Heyward chipped in two hits and two RBI, while <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/957/Chipper_Jones">Chipper Jones</a> went 3- for-5 with a run batted in.</p>
<p>San Diego's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/32845/Clayton_Richard">Clayton Richard</a> (7-5) was tagged for nine hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings for the Padres, who were coming off Wednesday's come-from-behind 6-4 triumph in 12 innings.</p>
<p>Atlanta got to Richard for four runs over the first three innings to give Hudson a comfortable lead.</p>
<p>A leadoff walk in the first by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/1001/Martin_Prado">Martin Prado</a> and Jones' single left runners at the corners, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/863/Troy_Glaus">Troy Glaus</a> scored the game's first run with a sacrifice fly. An error on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/33206/Will_Venable">Will Venable</a> put another runner in scoring position, and Gonzalez singled to make it 2-0 after one inning.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/597/Melky_Cabrera">Melky Cabrera</a> led off the second with a double and later scored on Heyward's two-out single, and Gonzalez doubled home <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/968/Matt_Diaz">Matt Diaz</a> an inning later for the four-run difference.</p>
<p>"Definitely the first few innings I threw a lot more balls than I wanted to," said Richard. "When you're pounding the strike zone, good things usually happen. When you don't it's usually the opposite. That was the case the first three innings today."</p>
<p>San Diego stranded a runner at second in the third and third in the fifth before the Braves doubled their lead in the seventh off <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/61103/Ryan_Webb">Ryan Webb</a>.</p>
<p>Diaz walked and Gonzalez reached on a single before <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/421/David_Ross">David Ross</a> smacked a run- scoring double. Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/182/Eric_Hinske">Eric Hinske</a> was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Heyward and Jones later came through with back-to-back hits with the bases still full to grab an 8-0 lead.</p>
<p>"It was hot out there today, but it's a lot nicer when you're able to put some runs up early and get in a little bit of a groove," Hudson said. "It's a good day, a huge win for us after losing a tough one last night."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/68714/Michael_Dunn">Michael Dunn</a> suffered with control problems after taking over for Atlanta in the bottom half and was lifted with one out having walked the bases loaded. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/964/Peter_Moylan">Peter Moylan</a> got <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/33171/Nick_Hundley">Nick Hundley</a> to hit into a double play to quash San Diego's best scoring chance of the game.</p>
<p>Hudson has a team-leading 16 quality starts and came in tied for fourth in the majors in the category. The right-hander was reached for a season-high six earned runs in a 6-3 loss to the Braves his last time out. It marked the most runs he's allowed since a June 28, 2008 start at Toronto...The Hinske hit-by- pitch required X-rays on his left foot, which were negative. He's considered day-to-day...Gonzalez tied a career high with the four hits, doing so for the eighth time...The Braves won the season series, 4-2. Atlanta has won 16 of its last 21 series overall...The Padres managed just four singles and stranded seven.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/7/22/2318240/battle-of-n-l-s-best-braves-shutout-padres-behind-tim-hudsons-sevenChris Mottram