Benson disappoints in likely final Pirates start

McClendon said Benson has ignored trade rumors.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- If this was Kris Benson's final start for Pittsburgh, it mirrored much of his major league career. It was disappointing.
Jaret Wright and four Atlanta relievers shut down the Pirates on Monday night in a 4-2 Braves victory keyed by two hits from Johnny Estrada off Benson.
J.D. Drew ran his hitting streak to 22 games with a single in Atlanta's go-ahead fifth inning against Benson (8-8), who is expected to be dealt by Saturday's deadline for trading without waivers. Benson was 4-1 in his previous seven starts and 3-0 in his last five.
"I didn't get the win, but I can't be disappointed with the last two months," said Benson, who finally appears to be developing into the No. 1 starter the Pirates long envisioned. "It (the trade talk) didn't bother me at all. It's the position I'm in, and I didn't let it affect me."
In a matchup of two streaking teams, the Braves won their fourth in a row, their 21st in 28 games overall and their 10th in 11 road games to open a 11/2-game lead over Philadelphia in the NL East. The Phillies lost 11-3 to Florida.
Season-high
The Braves also improved to a season-high eight games over .500 (53-45) while beating Pittsburgh for the ninth time in 12 games the last two seasons. The Pirates had won three straight overall and 20 of 26, plus 14 of 15 home games.
Benson, the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft, gave up seven hits and four runs in six innings. His career record dropped to 43-49, but that didn't keep manager Lloyd McClendon from giving him a hug.
Going about his business
"I told him I didn't know what's going to happen, but I'm proud of the way he's gone about his business," McClendon said. "He's been fantastic. He's certainly turned the corner and pitched the way we always felt he could pitch."
So has Wright (8-5), who had only nine wins from 2000-03. He lasted just five innings on a drizzly, muggy night but still checked Pittsburgh on two runs and five hits, including Jack Wilson's solo home run. The Pirates were coming off a three-game sweep of the Reds in which they scored 26 runs.
"He's recovering from a couple of arm operations, and it's the first time he's been in the rotation in years," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He pitched well -- not his best -- but he really aired it out in the last inning."
Both pitchers struggled somewhat following a 41-minute rain delay just after the Pirates began batting in the first. McClendon considered pulling Benson and bringing him back for the final game of the four-game series Thursday.
The Pirates managed only one hit after Wright was lifted. Antonio Alfonseca, Kevin Gryboski, Chris Reitsma and John Smoltz followed with a scoreless inning each with Smoltz pitching a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 23 opportunities.
"There's nothing worse than starting a game, then having a delay. But, like we talked about a week ago, we've just got to get it done, and we did a nice job," Smoltz said.
Wright improved to 6-0 in his last 12 starts and 3-0 in his last five despite giving up runs in two of the first three innings. Craig Wilson put the Pirates ahead 1-0 with an RBI single in the first, and Jack Wilson made it 2-1 in the third with his ninth homer.
Adam LaRoche had an RBI double in the fourth following Estrada's single. Benson then got himself in trouble in the two-run Atlanta fifth by walking Marcus Giles with one out ahead of Drew's streak-extending single.
Chipper Jones' sacrifice fly scored Giles, and Estrada made it 4-2 with a run-scoring double off the right-field wall that a leaping Craig Wilson couldn't grab. Estrada's .438 average with runners in scoring position leads the majors.