Bravesworld.com | Atlanta Braves News, braves Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>It had been a while since Craig Monroe made a curtain call. </div>"A few years ago in Detroit," Monroe said. "Not too long ago, but long enough." Of course, it also had been a while since Monroe had mashed a pair of homers or gotten six RBI in a game. Saturday, Monroe ignited the Pirates' 10-0 rout of the Atlanta Braves by hitting three-run homers in back-to-back at-bats. It was Monroe's fourth career two-homer game and the third time he'd driven in six runs. After his second blast, the crowd of 20,755 stood on its feet until Monroe came up to the top step of the dugout. "That's awesome," Monroe said. "To be here with a new team, and to have the fans do that -- that's my welcome. It felt really good, that they wanted me to come out and tip my hat to them. A special day." Monroe signed a free-agent deal with the Pirates in January. Last year, he hit just .202 and was cut by the Minnesota Twins midway through the season. Although he began yesterday batting .125, there was some logic to Monroe making his second start. The Pirates wanted another right-handed bat to face Braves lefty Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1), who was called up from Triple-A to replace injured starter Tom Glavine. "(Monroe) was due," outfielder Nyjer Morgan said. "He'd hit some hard shots right at guys the past few days." Monroe stranded a runner in his first at-bat, then grounded into a double play in his second. The Pirates were clinging to a 2-0 lead when he came to the plate in the sixth inning. Monroe drove the first pitch he saw from Reyes into the bullpen. In the seventh, the Braves intentionally walked Adam LaRoche with two outs so righty reliever Buddy Carlyle could face Monroe. It was a bad decision. Second pitch, boom, Monroe hit a big fly to the same spot in the 'pen. The Pirates scored four runs apiece in the sixth and seventh. Seven of those runs came with two outs. Catcher Ryan Doumit, whose bobblehead was given to fans as they entered PNC Park, hit three doubles in four at-bats. Doumit doubled and scored the Pirates' first run in the second inning. In the seventh, he drove in Nate McLouth with a double off the center field wall. The beneficiary of all that offense was Ian Snell (1-2), who turned in his sharpest performance of the season. The right-hander yielded four hits, walked three and struck out three. "He got ahead of everybody," Doumit said. "He had his good fastball command. His slider was devastating." Snell's only jam came in the fourth, when he walked Brain McCann with two outs and Casey Kotchman followed with a double. Jeff Francoeur hit a sharp liner to right-center, but McLouth made a fine running catch. "The sinker-changeup to lefties was real effective," Snell said. "It kept me in the game longer and didn't run up my pitch count." The Pirates sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and eight in the seventh. The offensive outburst cemented the victory for Snell, but also kept him from going deeper into the game. "A couple long innings," manager John Russell said. "Ian had to sit (in the dugout) so long. We were going to try to get him through the eighth, but it was tough." It's been 47 starts since Snell last pitched eight full innings. Given the way things went yesterday, he was willing to wait a bit longer. "I was trying to stretch and they kept getting hits," Snell said. "I wanted to finish the eighth. But I'm not going to complain (because) we won." By blanking the Braves in the first two games of this series, the Pirates lowered their major league-leading team ERA to 2.62. How they scored Pirates second inning -- (Jo-Jo Reyes pitching) Ryan Doumit doubled to left-center field. With two outs, Andy LaRoche doubled to left, Doumit scored. Pirates 1, Braves 0 Pirates sixth -- With one out, Freddy Sanchez tripled to center. Nate McLouth singled to right, Sanchez scored. McLouth stole second. Doumit was intentionally walked. With two outs, Craig Monroe hit a three-run home run (No. 1) to center on the first pitch. Pirates 5, Braves 0 Pirates seventh -- (Buddy Carlyle pitching) With two outs, McLouth singled to second base. Wild pitch, McLouth to second. Doumit doubled to center, McLouth scored. Adam LaRoche was intentionally walked. Monroe hit a three-run homer (No. 2) to center on a 1-0 pitch. Pirates 9, Braves 0 Pirates eighth -- (James Parr pitching) Eric Hinske (pinch-hitting for Sean Burnett) doubled to right. Nyjer Morgan walked. Sanchez singled to left, Hinske scored, Morgan to second. Pirates 10, Braves 0

It had been a while since Craig Monroe made a curtain call.

"A few years ago in Detroit," Monroe said. "Not too long ago, but long enough."

Of course, it also had been a while since Monroe had mashed a pair of homers or gotten six RBI in a game.

Saturday, Monroe ignited the Pirates' 10-0 rout of the Atlanta Braves by hitting three-run homers in back-to-back at-bats.

It was Monroe's fourth career two-homer game and the third time he'd driven in six runs. After his second blast, the crowd of 20,755 stood on its feet until Monroe came up to the top step of the dugout.

"That's awesome," Monroe said. "To be here with a new team, and to have the fans do that -- that's my welcome. It felt really good, that they wanted me to come out and tip my hat to them. A special day."

Monroe signed a free-agent deal with the Pirates in January. Last year, he hit just .202 and was cut by the Minnesota Twins midway through the season.

Although he began yesterday batting .125, there was some logic to Monroe making his second start. The Pirates wanted another right-handed bat to face Braves lefty Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1), who was called up from Triple-A to replace injured starter Tom Glavine.

"(Monroe) was due," outfielder Nyjer Morgan said. "He'd hit some hard shots right at guys the past few days."

Monroe stranded a runner in his first at-bat, then grounded into a double play in his second. The Pirates were clinging to a 2-0 lead when he came to the plate in the sixth inning.

Monroe drove the first pitch he saw from Reyes into the bullpen.

In the seventh, the Braves intentionally walked Adam LaRoche with two outs so righty reliever Buddy Carlyle could face Monroe. It was a bad decision.

Second pitch, boom, Monroe hit a big fly to the same spot in the 'pen.

The Pirates scored four runs apiece in the sixth and seventh. Seven of those runs came with two outs.

Catcher Ryan Doumit, whose bobblehead was given to fans as they entered PNC Park, hit three doubles in four at-bats. Doumit doubled and scored the Pirates' first run in the second inning. In the seventh, he drove in Nate McLouth with a double off the center field wall.

The beneficiary of all that offense was Ian Snell (1-2), who turned in his sharpest performance of the season. The right-hander yielded four hits, walked three and struck out three.

"He got ahead of everybody," Doumit said. "He had his good fastball command. His slider was devastating."

Snell's only jam came in the fourth, when he walked Brain McCann with two outs and Casey Kotchman followed with a double. Jeff Francoeur hit a sharp liner to right-center, but McLouth made a fine running catch.

"The sinker-changeup to lefties was real effective," Snell said. "It kept me in the game longer and didn't run up my pitch count."

The Pirates sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and eight in the seventh. The offensive outburst cemented the victory for Snell, but also kept him from going deeper into the game.

"A couple long innings," manager John Russell said. "Ian had to sit (in the dugout) so long. We were going to try to get him through the eighth, but it was tough."

It's been 47 starts since Snell last pitched eight full innings. Given the way things went yesterday, he was willing to wait a bit longer.

"I was trying to stretch and they kept getting hits," Snell said. "I wanted to finish the eighth. But I'm not going to complain (because) we won."

By blanking the Braves in the first two games of this series, the Pirates lowered their major league-leading team ERA to 2.62.

How they scored

Pirates second inning -- (Jo-Jo Reyes pitching) Ryan Doumit doubled to left-center field. With two outs, Andy LaRoche doubled to left, Doumit scored.

Pirates 1, Braves 0

Pirates sixth -- With one out, Freddy Sanchez tripled to center. Nate McLouth singled to right, Sanchez scored. McLouth stole second. Doumit was intentionally walked. With two outs, Craig Monroe hit a three-run home run (No. 1) to center on the first pitch.

Pirates 5, Braves 0

Pirates seventh -- (Buddy Carlyle pitching) With two outs, McLouth singled to second base. Wild pitch, McLouth to second. Doumit doubled to center, McLouth scored. Adam LaRoche was intentionally walked. Monroe hit a three-run homer (No. 2) to center on a 1-0 pitch.

Pirates 9, Braves 0

Pirates eighth -- (James Parr pitching) Eric Hinske (pinch-hitting for Sean Burnett) doubled to right. Nyjer Morgan walked. Sanchez singled to left, Hinske scored, Morgan to second.

Pirates 10, Braves 0