ATLANTA – Chipper Jones has always thrived in these sort of games, the kind that change momentum and help decide pennants. Most of all, he seems to thrive on beating the Mets in the big spot; and last night was no different.
Jones had said beforehand that the these games could swing the momentum in the race for the NL East; and he had called the first game of the series the most important.
He put his bat where his mouth was, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored to help Atlanta whip the Mets 6-3 in front of 41,937 at Turner Field, and go four games ahead in the NL East.
“I know the guys in this clubhouse were treating this like a playoff night. We treated it like it was Game One of the World Series, and we responded,” Jones said.. “This is what it’s all about: Playing in big games, pennant-winning games.
“[This rivalry] is good for the game of baseball. All eyes will be on us for the next three days. These are the games you groom for. After what happened last year in the NLCS, hopefully it’s the start of a good rivalry for many years. I sense it becoming a pretty good rivalry, and that’s the way it should be. You should have somebody in the division you stand toe-to-toe with.”
But the fact of the matter is that the Mets haven’t stood toe-to-toe with the Braves; at least not here in Hotlanta. Since Ted Turner built this House of Horrors for the Mets, the Amazin’s are just 5-20 here, 2-19 in their last 21. And Jones added to that misery last night.
With the Braves leading 1-0 in the third and runners on first and second, Chipper hit a grounder down the third-base line that Robin Ventura fielded and threw to first for what the Mets thought was an out.
But third-base ump Bruce Froemming called the ball foul; and Jones made good with his second life, drilling a belt-high 1-2 pitch into center to plate Rafael Furcal. He went first-to-third on Brian Jordan’s single and scored on Walt Weiss’ groundout.
Over the years, Jones has thrived in big spots, hitting 45 homers and batting .308 with runners in scoring position last year to win MVP; but this year he’s hit just .239 in August, and came into last night batting just .251. But these are the Mets, and we know what Jones does to the Amazin’s.
“I take great pride in being the guy in the middle of the order knocking in the big runs,” Jones said.
