Braves catcher backs up Jurrgens

SAN DIEGO (AP) — David Ross showed the Braves they don’t lose much when he plays catcher instead of Brian McCann.
The backup to the five-time All-Star hit two home runs and drove in four runs to back Jair Jurrjens’ first complete game in the Braves’ 8-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer in the first inning to tie Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle for second place among switch hitters with 1,509 RBI.
“It’s really huge to have a guy back there who is as good defensively as anybody in the game but can swing the bat a little bit, too,” Jones said. “That’s a nice luxury to have. It’s not the first time he’s done it, either.”
Ross hit a solo homer in the second and a three-run blast to cap the Braves’ five-run sixth inning. Both home runs, Ross’ first two of the season, came off Aaron Harang (4-1), who was bidding to becoming the NL’s first five-game winner.
“He didn’t make the pitch both times,” Ross said. “He’s got good stuff. I was fortunate to get a couple off of him.”
Ross is 4-for-9 against Harang with three home runs.
“It’s one of those things where I’ve hit the mistakes,” said Ross. “He usually doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.”
Jurrjens (2-0) had pitched out of trouble against the Padres, limiting them to nine hits and stranding eight runners for his first complete game in his 95th career start. His ERA rose slightly from 0.69 to 1.23.
Astros 6, Cards 5
HOUSTON (AP) — Mitchell Boggs had been perfect as a closer until Tuesday night.
Boggs, who entered the game 3-for-3 on save opportunities, blew his first save of the season and spoiled Lance Berkman’s homecoming as the Cardinals fell to the Astros 6-5 on a ninth-inning RBI by Bill Hall.
Boggs (0-1) gave up two runs — one earned — on four hits in one-third of an inning.
“It was a tough night for me,” said Boggs, who had eight consecutive scoreless outings before Tuesday. “I didn’t make the pitches I needed to make. I had a chance to field a bunt, and I couldn’t do that. I just didn’t make good enough pitches when I needed to make them. They did a good job of battling me and getting the job done, and I didn’t.”
Brian Bogusevic led off the ninth with a single and moved to second on a passed ball.
Michael Bourn laid down a bunt toward first, and Boggs tried to make a play on it but bobbled it instead for an error allowing Bourn to reach first.
Bogusevic scored on a wild pitch to tie things at 5-5, and Angel Sanchez and Hunter Pence followed with single to load the bases.
After Carlos Lee popped to first base, Hall ended it with a single on a 2-2 pitch.
Rockies 4, Cubs 3
CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs looked as if they were headed for a big offensive game. Then Jorge De La Rosa settled in.
After scoring twice in the first inning, Chicago was shut down by De La Rosa in a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
“You just have to believe that a good approach at the plate is going to bring you back to what you do well,” Cubs’ manager Mike Quade said.
De La Rosa picked up his fourth victory in five starts to start the season.
After falling behind in the first inning, the Cubs captured the lead in the bottom half.
After Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney led off the inning with singles, Jeff Baker singled home a run with two outs to tie the game.
Geovany Soto then hit a grounder to the left side that went under the glove of Rockies’ shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, allowing Barney to score.
“De La Rosa didn’t look very sharp in the first,” Quade said. “He settled down and pitched pretty well. He regrouped pretty darn well and settled down and pitched good.”

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