LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Kerry Ligtenberg is so encouraged by his right elbow he's aiming to return May 1. It may be false hope, but the closer refuses to consider season-ending surgery to repair a partial tear of his medial collateral ligament. He expects that when doctors say he can begin throwing again in two weeks the tear will be healed.

...figure out what's going on," said Lightenberg, whose ERA jumped to 14.5. The obvious...fine. I can't really pinpoint it," Lightenberg said. "I'm opening up a little bit...I was." Asked about lack of work, Lightenberg said, "It's been kind of frustrating...

...scored Marquis Grissom from third. Giovanni Carrara (2-0) got the win with four innings of scoreless relief, while Kerry Lightenberg (0-2) took the loss. Jesse Orosco pitched the 16th to earn his first save since 1999. A Turner Field crowd of 26...

...Thursday. ... Braves' relievers Mike Remlinger and Kerry Lightenberg each pitched scoreless innings, while closer John Smoltz...pretty good," Cox said. Cox was especially pleased with Lightenberg, who had allowed runs in a number of his previous appearances...

...Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers. "I'm really looking forward to going, although I may be the only one," said Lightenberg, who played his college ball for the University of Minnesota, and has played six games in the Twins' home park. "I'm...

...It's one of those you'll always remember," he said. But the Braves bullpen almost made it a day to forget. Kerry Lightenberg came on in the eighth and gave up a couple of runs to make it a 6-3 game. Then Rocker showed up for the save in the ninth...

...two out in the bottom of the sixth. Williams popped out, and the Expos the scored two runs in the seventh against Kerry Lightenberg -- one coming on an error by second baseman Michael Tucker -- to pull to 4-3. An RBI sacrifice fly by Chipper Jones...

...three, Gryboski (0-1, 0.73) has been the most impressive, having given up just one earned run in 12 1/3 innings. Lightenberg has a respectable 3.07 ERA, but he's walked 15 batters in 14 2/3 innings. Spooneybarger has also been inconsistent...

...It's one of those you'll always remember," he said. But the Braves bullpen almost made it a day to forget. Kerry Lightenberg came on in the eighth and gave up a couple of runs to make it a 6-3 game. Then Rocker showed up for the save in the ninth...