Boston beans Braves

BOSTON - In such a literary town, a win just wouldn't have had the right poetic feel for the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

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It wouldn't have provided the perfect punchline to a 14-day, 12-game road trip that's been one long, bad joke.

Boston starter Matt Clement threw a complete game four-hitter to beat the Braves, 5-2 on Sunday afternoon in front of 34,844 fans at Fenway Park.

Thus, Atlanta's four-city, three-time zone tour of misery ends at 4-8.

"It's been the trip from hell," said third baseman Chipper Jones, who's still battling injuries to his left side and foot.

To recap the journey:

- Two starters, Mike Hampton and John Thomson, are on the disabled list. Hampton (forearm) will return by the start of June. Thomson (finger) will be out up to three months.

- Closer Dan Kolb and setup man Chris Reitsma each blew two late-inning leads apiece. Of the 12 total games, Atlanta had a lead at some point in 10 of them.

- The Braves left town up 1 games on Florida in the NL East. They return home down by that margin.

The rest of the Braves - save Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones - didn't fare a whole lot better. The team hit .238 (98-for-412) on the trip. After the first three games at hitter-friendly Coors Field, Atlanta's bats cooled to .216 (64-for-296).

"We're not hitting," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "Story of the year right there."

The nightmare started in Colorado.

Atlanta dropped two of three to a club that still owns the NL's worst record. After taking two of three from slumping Los Angeles, the Braves were swept by suddenly red-hot San Diego. They then came to Fenway, where the defending champions took two of three.

On Sunday, John Smoltz, who got a no decision, battled without his best variety of pitches to allow two runs in 4w innings.

"They didn't tattoo anything, but they got enough hits in the hole," Smoltz said. "It'll just wear on you, and it wore on me all day."

Smoltz was replaced in the fifth by Roman Colon, who got out of that inning but allowed three runs - including a two-run home run by Manny Ramirez - in the sixth to take the loss.

Colon (0-1) has given up five homers in 12q innings this year.

Contact Travis Haney at travis.haney@morris.com.