SPORTSTICKER NL RECAP ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Lance Johnson's sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning scored Benito Santiago with the go-ahead run as the Chicago Cubs blew a five-run lead before defeating the Atlanta Braves, 6-5. Santiago led off the 12th with a single off Kevin McGlinchey (2-1), the sixth Braves' pitcher. McGlinchey fielded Curtis Goodwin's bunt but threw wildly to first, putting runners at second and third. Johnson flied to left, scoring Santiago without a play and putting the Cubs ahead. Gerald Williams smacked a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth for Atlanta to force extra innings. Sammy Sosa and Mark Grace belted solo homers in the first inning off Greg Maddux, who continued to struggle and is winless in his last four starts. "It was a big game. We've been playing real well," Sosa said. "Anytime you face a guy like Greg Maddux and win a game like that, you have to feel good." Dan Serafini (1-0) allowed one hit over 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win, Chicago's sixth in the last seven games. Brian Jordan knocked in two runs for Atlanta, which had a four-game winning streak stopped and lost for the first time in 20 games this season when scoring at least five runs. Traling 5-0 in the third, the Braves started their comeback against starter Steve Trachsel. Williams led off with single and scored one out later on Walt Weiss' double. The Braves were still facing a four-run deficit in the sixth before they got back in it. Bret Boone started the inning with a single and Chipper Jones walked, setting the stage for Jordan's two-run double. Ryan Klesko followed with double to chase Trachsel and bring the Braves within 5-4. Trachsel went five-plus innings and allowed four runs and six hits, walking four and striking out one. The Cubs' bullpen held the lead until Williams led off the ninth with his third homer off Scott Sanders, one of several hopefuls to replace injured closer Rod Beck. It was another tough outing for Maddux, who surrendered Sosa's 13th homer and Grace's seventh in the opening inning that gave the Cubs a quick 2-0 lead. Chicago pushed across three more runs two innings later. Johnson reached on an infield hit with one out and Mickey Morandini singled. After Maddux retired Sosa, Grace doubled home Johnson. A two-run single by Henry Rodriguez pushed the lead to 5-0. Maddux left after seven innings and allowed five runs and nine hits. He retired 11 of his final 12 hitters and walked none while striking out four. After going 4-0 in April, Maddux is 0-3 in four starts in May and has been roughed up for 18 runs -- 17 earned -- and 45 hits in 24 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.02. "I felt great out there," he said. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I just can't figure out what's the problem." "He got off to a slow start, but he finished real good," Grace said of Maddux. "I thought he was pretty decent. A bloop scored a couple of runs and it wasn't like we kicked his (butt) all over the place." Sosa also talked about facing Maddux. "He's a great pitcher and you have to ready for anything," he said. "It's the same guy I've seen, nothing has changed. He'll be all right. I believe him and he'll probably win the Cy Young again."  