Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Steve Avery survived giving up 11 hits in 7 1/3 innings for his fourth straight victory to pull the Braves within 2 1/2 games of first-place Cincinnati in the West. Atlanta has won 18 of its last 21 games.
”The Reds are a pretty good fastball-hitting team, so I changed speeds more,” Avery said. ”It seemed I was always pitching out of a jam.”
Avery (6-5) struck out two and walked one before Kent Mercker relieved in the eighth. Mercker finished for his first save.
