Chipper Jones hit a tie breaking three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh innings to help Tom Glavine win his 17th game of the year as the Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 last night.

Cardinals' rookie starting pitcher Britt Reames, making only his second major league start, was replaced with the Cards up 4-2. Reames allowed only four singles, three walks thru 5 innings.

Chipper Jones, the Braves hard-hitting third baseman, 30 Hrs, 92 RBIs, .302 BA, and last years (1999) Most Valuable Player lined a low fastball off reliever and loser Mike Timlin (2-1, 5.27 ERA) to give the Braves a 7-4 lead. Glavine surrendered 8-hits, 4-runs, 3 earned runs, walked and struck out two each and is now 17-6, 3.77 ERA for year 2000.

Tom Glavine leads the National League with 17th wins and has won for the 10th time in his last 11 starts. He's trying to collect 20 victories for the fifth time in his career, which would assure him a membership in baseball's Hall of Fame. No current pitcher in either league has been more consistent in the last ten seasons than Glavine. He has won at least 15 games in seven of the last ten years, and at least 13 in each of those years.

"It's important," said Glavine. "It's a goal that starting pitchers have every year. You're a 20-game winner. That's a big deal. I've done it four times, and five sounds a lot better." When asked how he stayed so consistent over the years, he replied, "I just try to get in the grove and throw the ball over for strikes. I move it in and out, sometimes a little up or down, change my speeds, but always try to hit the strike zone. That's why we all like Javy Lopez (catcher). He's sets up, doesn't move, and for me, I just aim to hit his mitt."

The Braves who have the best record in the major leagues are now 78-50, 1st place in the NL East. The Cardinals are 71-57, 1st in the NL Central.