--C Clint Sammons smashed his first major league homer in the sixth inning Thursday. The 25-year-old Sammons, who played ball with RF Jeff Francoeur at Parkview High School in suburban Atlanta, also had three hits and drove in his first major league run in the fourth. "It's something you'll remember forever," Sammons said of the homer. "I think that's the best ball I've hit all year."
--C Brian McCann took batting practice and participated in some drills Thursday. The All-Star backstop, who suffered a concussion in a helmet-to-helmet collision with Philadelphia's Shane Victorino on Sunday, said he felt fine after the workout. McCann may be cleared to pinch-hit Saturday and could see action behind the plate when the Braves open a three-game set in San Francisco on Monday. --RHP Jeff Bennett hurled two scoreless frames to record the win before giving way to RHP Rafael Soriano and LHP Mike Gonzalez. After getting battered for 30 runs over their last 22 innings in the Braves' five-game losing streak, the bullpen settled down Thursday, hurling four scoreless innings in relief of LHP Mike Hampton.
--The Braves avoided getting swept in a four-game set by St. Louis for the first time since August 14-16, 1989. It would have been the first time the Braves dropped a four-game set to the Cardinals in Atlanta. The last time the Braves franchise was swept by the Cardinals in a four-game series at home was June 17-20, 1946, when the club played in Boston.
--INF Omar Infante homered, had three hits and drove in two runs in the contest. The utility man, who is filling in at third base for the injured Chipper Jones, finished the four-game series against St. Louis batting .533 (8-for-15).
--LHP Mike Hampton allowed four runs and seven hits in an 81-pitch, five-inning performance Thursday in only his second start since 2005.
BY THE NUMBERS: .172 -- The Braves' team batting average in their losses, through 100 games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's kind of surreal." -- RHP Charlie Morton, on being able to get pitching advice from Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Tim Hudson.
