The Braves took advantage of a career-high six walks from Tim Lincecum with five runs scored, defeating the Giants, 5-2.
In the battle of the Tims, the Braves held the advantage as Tim Hudson went 8.2 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Seven of the nine hits were singles, and the other two were doubles to Pat Burrell. He induced 10 groundouts to six flyouts. Hudson had a pretty good mix of bad luck and good luck shots, with a few line drives finding gloves.
Hudson fought through a long ninth inning, allowing his second run on a Miguel Tejada sac fly RBI. He battled for two outs at 112 pitches before giving way to Craig Kimbrel, who got Buster Posey on a flyout to end the game.
Martin Prado led the Braves offensively with three RBIs on two singles and a fielder's choice. Prado followed two singles by Nate McLouth with two RBI singles that scored him twice. A fielder's choice in the seventh scored the other when he grounded to second base and a run scored on the throw home.
McLouth reached base three times on a single and two walks, and he scored three times. Such offense is dynamic from the eighth spot, and it led to three runs following two sac bunts and a walk from Hudson. Brian McCann drove in two runs in the seventh on a single, which was big considering it gave the Braves a four-run lead.
The Braves walked six times off Lincecum, who went only 6.1 innings, allowing five runs on six hits and striking out six. He induced 10 groundouts to one flyout, but the control issues finally caught up to him with a three-run seventh. Javier Lopez gave up the hit to McCann that scored two runs.
Burrell went 3-4 with two doubles for the Giants. Ross went 2-4 with one RBI.
For more on the series, Braves fans check out Talking Chop and Giants fans check out McCovey Chronicles.