Chipper Drives Home Winning Run in Final Dodgers Stadium At-Bat

In what will likely be his final bat ever at Dodger Stadium (barring both the Braves and Dodgers making the playoffs) on Wednesday night (April 25), Chipper Jones drove in the go ahead and what would prove to be the game-winning run (shortstop Jack Wilson) on a RBI single off of Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Javy Guerra.

To see Chipper’s game-winning hit click: HERE

The game-winning single for Jones capped off a series, in which he played in two of the team’s three games and hit 2-for-7 with a home run and two RBI.

Jones is now hitting .278 on the season with three home runs and 10 RBI.

The Braves are now 12-7 after the win over the Dodgers in which they took the series 2-1. Despite being one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, if not the hottest, the Braves still trail the young and surprising Washington Nationals in the National League East Division by 2.5 games. However, the Braves biggest threats to win the division are the Philadelphia Phillies, who are three games behind them in the standings, and the Miami Marlins, who are four games behind them in the standings.

Jonny Venters got the win for the Braves in relief, but starting pitcher Brandon Beachy had another great game. Despite giving up two earned runs, Beachy’s ERA in the first month of the season is 1.05. His ERA was a Major League Baseball best 0.39 coming into tonight’s game.

In non-Chipper Jones and non-Atlanta Braves related news, New York Yankees future hall of famer Derek Jeter is off to a white hot start this season hitting .416, with 30 hits in the Yanks first 16 games of the season. As great as Derek Jeter has been in his career he's never won a batting title ... could we be seeing him win one at age 39? Wrapping things back around to Chipper Jones, the Braves slugger knows a thing or two about winning batting titles after the age of 35. Jones won his batting title in 2008 when he hit .364 at the age of 36.

Chipper Blasts Bomb on 40th Birthday Against Dodgers

Braves legend Chipper Jones celebrated his 40thbirthday in grand fashion with a solo home run to get the Braves going in the top of the fifth inning on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Dodgers Stadium.

The home run came off of Dodgers starting pitcher Aaron Harang with the Braves down 2-0 to the Dodgers at the time. The Braves would tie the game 2-2 later in the fifth. The game would end up going into the ninth inning tied at 3, after each team scored one more time. In the ninth, Braves left fielder Martin Prado drove in shortstop Tyler Pastornicky for the go ahead and eventual winning run with a triple over the heard of Dodgers center fielder and current National League MVP frontrunner Matt Kemp.

Jones’ birthday blast is the fifth homer for the veteran on his birthday in 13 games. The homer was also his 13^th as a visitor at Dodgers Stadium. Chipper’s five career dingers on his birthday tie him for the active lead with New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez and Colorado Rockies vet Todd Helton. Jones also homered on his 24^th birthday, twice on his 29^th birthday and on his 36^th birthday, according to the Miami Herald. He is now 21 for 49 on his day of birth.   

To see Chipper’s birthday blast click: HERE

Thanks to MLB.tv showing the Braves/Dodgers game as its free game of the day I was able to see Chipper Jones’ 40^th birthday. This game marked only the second Braves game I’ve seen so far this season on TV (I saw the Braves final game against the Astros in Houston earlier in the season). Big kudos to MLB.com and MLB.tv for choosing Jones’ 40^th birthday game as the free game of the day. I’m sure it put a lot of smiles on Braves fans like me, who are out of Braves territory and don’t get to see many of their games.

Chipper’s home run was his only hit of the game as he went 1-for-3 against Harang and was walked in the top of the eighth inning by Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen. In the top of the 6^th inning, Jones had a likely RBI single taken away from him when his hit basically caught Harang, who was able to turn a 1-6-3 double play out of it.

The Braves are now 11-2 in Chipper's birthday games. According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s David O’Brien, Chipper became the fifth player to homer on his 40th birthday in Major League Baseball history on Tuesday night in L.A.

Despite playing in less than half as many games as many of his teammates, Jones is tied for the team lead in home runs with three. Catcher Brian McCann, second baseman Dan Uggla, first baseman Freddie Freeman and Chipper’s frequent replacement at third base Juan Francisco all have three bombs on the season, as well. Jones’ nine RBI on the season are tied with McCann and Uggla on the team, behind Freeman’s 15 and Prado’s 11. Jones is now hitting .276 on the season.

Chipper’s first home run at Dodgers Stadium came off of Carlos Perez on April 19, 1999. The only pitcher he’s rounded the bases off of more than once at Dodgers Stadium was Darren Dreifort, also in 1999.

Should Jones crack the Braves lineup in tomorrow night’s game it’ll be his last at Dodgers Stadium. Veteran pitcher Ted Lilly will take the mound for the Dodgers. Jones is 3-for-13 (.231) in his career against Lilly with no homers and three RBI.