Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Chipper Jones hit a three-run home run, and Kenshin Kawakami snapped a long winless streak to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in the middle installment of a three-game interleague set.
Eric Hinske drove in the other run, while Kawakami (1-9) finally got a win as he gave up just one run on two hits with three walks and six strikeouts over seven innings for the Braves, who have won two straight after dropping their previous three.
Kawakami had gone a total of 21 games, including 14 starts, since his last win on August 31, 2009 against Florida. He was 0-11 during that time.
Miguel Cabrera hit his 20th home run of the season and drove in another for the Tigers, who have dropped four of five. Max Scherzer went 5 2/3 innings in the start and was charged with just three hits and four walks with eight strikeouts. Joel Zumaya (2-1) was tagged with the loss for giving up the homer to Jones.
Holding a three-run lead, 4-1, Takashi Saito came on in the ninth to close it, but gave up a one-out, solo homer to Cabrera then, after striking out Brennan Boesch, walked the next two batters.
Eric O'Flaherty took the mound and walked Danny Worth to load the bases then walked Gerald Laird to make it a one-run game.
Atlanta manager Bobby Cox again went to the pen and called upon Peter Moylan, who struck out pinch-hitter Johnny Damon looking on a pitch that appeared to be off the plate to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.
It was a scoreless contest until the sixth inning when Detroit took the lead. Austin Jackson led off with a walk and moved to second on Ramon Santiago's bunt single. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and Jackson came home on a groundout from Cabrera.
Atlanta got back-to-back one-out walks from Brian McCann and Troy Glaus in the bottom of the sixth. Eric Hinske then struck out and Zumaya took the mound and got Yunel Escobar to pop out and end the inning.
In the seventh, Gregor Blanco led off with a walk and pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad moved him to second with a sac bunt. After Martin Prado grounded out, Melky Cabrera worked a walk and Jones followed by crushing a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right-center for a 3-1 lead.
Jonny Venters set the Tigers down in order in the eighth, and the Braves padded their lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from Hinske for a 4-1 advantage.
Atlanta improve to 9-5 in interleague play this season while Detroit dropped to 10-7...Coming into the series, Detroit had won five straight against Atlanta...Atlanta left 10 men on base while Detroit stranded seven...Miguel Cabrera leads the majors with 63 RBI.