ESPN.com St. Louis/Atlanta recap

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Sunday, May 6 1:05pm ET
Chipper hits 200th career HR

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

ATLANTA (AP) – Chipper Jones can sense the Atlanta Braves' bats coming to life. He can't say the same thing about Kevin Millwood's ailing shoulder.


	Chipper Jones is now hitting .342 after Sunday's four-hit game.

Jones homered twice to give him 200 for his career and Wes Helms hit a two-run double in a three-run seventh inning as the Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 Sunday.

"In the first game of the series I was telling Merv (Rettenmund) I could feel us coming around," Jones said of his talk with the Atlanta hitting coach. "It's unfortunate, though, as far as Millwood is concerned. He's kind of been gimpy for a while, and everybody in here is certainly pulling for him. Maybe they can get him checked out and figure out what's going on."

Atlanta had to use five relievers after Millwood left after two innings complaining of a stiff right shoulder.

"It's just got no zip, feels like there's no life in it," said Millwood, who will have an MRI on Monday. "It feels dead, in a way."

With the game tied at 4 in the seventh, the Braves scored three unearned runs off Gene Stechschulte (0-2) with help from two errors by shortstop Edgar Renteria.

Andruw Jones opened the inning by reaching second base on a two-base throwing error by Renteria. Chipper Jones, who had four hits, then reached on an infield single that moved Andruw Jones to third base.

Renteria misplayed a grounder by Brian Jordan, allowing Andruw Jones to score the tiebreaking run. After a bunt single by Keith Lockhart, Helms hit a two-run double to center with one out to make it 7-4.

Jose Cabrera (1-0) relieved Jason Marquis with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh inning. Cabrera got out of the jam only allowing a game-tying sacrifice fly by Albert Pujols.

Chipper Jones thought Pujols had hit a grand slam.

"Judging by his reaction, he thought he had it, too," Chipper Jones said. "He's the real deal, a big swinger with lots of power, but very selective."

John Rocker pitched the ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances, allowing an RBI double by pinch-hitter Placido Polanco.

Millwood left the game after two innings with a stiff shoulder. He gave up three runs and two hits.

"It's been like this for a while, since the start of spring training, I guess," Millwood said. "It doesn't really ache, and it's not really a sharp pain. It just feels kind of numb."

The Braves had scored only 35 runs in 14 games at Turner Field this season before breaking through with seven Sunday.

Chipper Jones tied the score at 3 with a two-run shot off Darryl Kile in the third inning and then gave the Braves their first lead with a solo shot in the fourth. Jones has 11 homers on the season.

"He's kicking himself for giving up the two home runs to Jones," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "If you don't get the ball where you want it, they'll make you pay."

Kile pitched out of a jam in the sixth with runners on second and third and no outs. He struck out Quilvio Veras, pinch-hitter Bernard Gilkey and got Rafael Furcal to fly out to right.

Kile, who won his three previous starts, gave up four runs, 10 hits and two walks in six innings. He described the Braves' offense as somewhat of a sleeping giant.

"Every team goes through that," Kile said. "They're a good ballclub. They'll be all right and in the middle of it when all is said and done. The same situation applies here. We have a good ballclub, too."

Pujols hit his ninth homer, a two-run shot in the first, and Renteria hit a solo shot in the second off Millwood.

The Braves made it 3-1 with Veras' RBI double in the second.

Rookie Damian Moss pitched three scoreless innings of relief but left after facing one batter in the sixth. Attempting to cover first on J.D. Drew's slow roller, Moss twisted his right knee when Helms, who threw the ball behind the pitcher, was charged with an error.

Moss will have an MRI on Monday.

Game notes
Furcal leads the majors with five sacrifice flies. ... Pujols ended the first by grounding into his major league-high 11th double play. ... Renteria had only three errors entering the game.