Braves' Jones raps umpire's calls

PHOENIX, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Some members of the Atlanta Braves were reported seething over what they saw as biased umpiring against the team, the Atlanta Journal Constitution said Thursday.

Manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Leo Mazzone were tossed out of Wednesday night's game with Arizona in separate incidents in which they argued strike calls by umpire Angel Hernandez.

Chipper Jones was the only one willing to speak out on the situation.

"There are a lot of good umpires in this league," Jones said. "But we've had Angel Hernandez behind the plate four or five times this year and haven't won a game. And he's obviously sensitive about it, because you can't even talk to him. He threw Bobby out and he didn't even know what he said.

"I thought balls and strikes all night, when we were at the plate, were horrendous," said Jones, whose two-run homer in the eighth inning tied the score 3-all. "Not against me. But some of our lesser known players had it taken to them."

"It was a little rough," Cox said, meaning the night in general. "It's not the umpire's fault. They've been told to call strikes up around the head and under the shoe tops, and not to call anything on the corners."

The Braves lost the game, 6-3, evening their series with the Diamondbacks at a game apiece with the finale Thursday. They also lost left-handed setup man Mike Remlinger who was ticketed for the 15-day disabled list with a pulled groin.