Braves Douse Torrid Pirates for DH Split

Tim Hudson limited Pittsburgh to two hits and an unearned run over seven innings and the Atlanta Braves halted their seven-game road losing slide with an 8-1 victory that concluded Monday's doubleheader. In the opener, Freddy Sanchez hit a three-run double and Zach Duke pitched six shutout innings as the Pirates won 5-0, their sixth consecutive win.

With Mark Kotsay and Brian McCann driving in three runs each, Atlanta avoided its first four-game sweep by Pittsburgh since Sept. 1-3, 1978. The Pirates' winning streak was their longest since they won 10 straight in 2004. Hudson held the Pirates to a lone single over his final six innings, finishing with five strikeouts and two walks. (More baseball stories.)