Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Reds 3, Braves 2 (11 innings)

Top of the Order: Just when you think Chipper Jones is immune to the Braves’ road woes, the best player in the majors this season goes 0-for-5 and makes an error to allow the winning run to score as the Braves dropped the opener of a three-game set.

The Good: Tom Glavine bounced back from his worst start of the season with a solid performance: five hits, two runs, two walks and five strikeouts in six innings. Will Ohman, Manny Acosta and Jeff Bennett combined for four scoreless innings of relief. Kelly Johnson and Brian McCann each had two hits, McCann raising his average to .326. Mark Teixeira drove in a run, giving him nine RBIs in the past five games.

The Bad: Jones hasn’t spent much time here this season, but he falls squarely in the bad category this morning following his worst game of the season: zero hits (his major-league lead average “plunging” to .409), four runners left on base, and the error on Brandon Phillips’ grounder that allowed super-phenom Jay Bruce to score the game winner. Royce Ring took the loss, allowing two hits in facing three batters in the 11th. Yunel Escobar had a rough night on the bases: a caught stealing, and then he tried to catch Francisco Cordero napping on the mound (much as he did to Jose Valverde in Arizona last year), but was cut down. Mark Kotsay finally was placed on the disabled list (Josh Anderson was promoted from Triple-A Richmond).

View from the Sports Garage: Well, everybody’s going to have one of those nights at some point in time. We’ve become so accustom to Jones getting two and three hits a game and playing great defense, that a night like Friday is just shocking to the soul. Truth be told, no one player wins or loses a baseball game by himself (although the Bruce kid in Cincinnati looks like he may win a few by himself; man, that dude is special). It’s almost funny in a way, when you consider Chipper has been unstoppable everywhere, even as poorly as the Braves have played away from him. I guess the road mojo (or lack thereof) finally caught up with Larry Wayne. What can you do? Glavine pitched well. So did Cincinnati starter Edinson Volquez, although the Braves became the first team this season to score more than one earned run off the majors’ ERA leader. The real shame isn’t in Jones’ performance, it’s in the numbers after Friday: 7-19 on the road, 2-15 in one-run games (0-for-12 away from home), 0-4 in extra inning games. Do these sound like stats for a playoff team? Nope. The Braves opened the season two months ago today with a – you guessed it – one-run loss on the road. Who could know that night in D.C. would be such an ominous omen for a team that finds itself 2 ½ games out of first place?

On deck
Braves at Reds
3:55 p.m. today, Great American Ball Park

The Skinny: Jair Jurrjens (5-3, 2.86 ERA) looks to bounce back from a less-than-Jurrjens-like (let’s invent an adjective here on a Saturday morning) outing vs. Arizona on Monday, when he allowed eight hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings. More problematic than his line were the two blisters that formed on his thumb. Better believe the Braves will be watching Jurrjens closely today to see if those blisters give the 22-year-old problems. Yet again, JJJ is pitching after a Braves’ loss, and his team needs a good performance. Climbing the bump for the Reds will be Josh Fogg (1-2, 9.00 ERA), who found out Thursday night he would make the start today. He’s pitched this season as if in a fog (I know, that was horrible, but it’s early). Fogg started the season in the rotation before being banished to the bullpen after three horrid starts. The Braves lit him up for six hits and five runs in relief on May 4, and need to put the hammer down on him again today.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 8, Brewers 1

Top of the Order: Mark Teixeira hit his first home run in 20 days as Jorge Campillo continued to dazzle as a starter, sparking the Braves to just their seventh road victory of the season and salvaging the final game of a three-game set.

The Good: Hey, what do you know? This team can hit on the road, and hit with runners on base. And the cleanup hitter can hit a home run. Teixeira hadn’t gone yard since May 10 at Pittsburgh, but his fifth-inning blast off Seth McClung turned a one-run game into a four-run cushion. Teixeira drove in four, finishing 2-for-3 with two walks. Another good day for Chipper Jones: two hits, two walks, his big-league best average up to .420 and his on-base percentage at .500 (also tops in the bigs). Yunel Escobar, 1-for-8 in the series coming in, went 3-for-6. Campillo had a day he won’t soon forget. On the mound he earned his second victory, allowing four hits and one run in five strong innings, walking nobody and striking out six. Batting with the bases loaded in the fifth, Campillo blooped a single to right for his first major-league hit, scoring two to make it 6-0. The bullpen was stellar: Jeff Bennett, Blaine Boyer, Manny Acosta and Rafael Soriano (yes, the closer is back) combined for four shutout innings, striking out six (four by Acosta, who fanned all four hitters he faced). Soriano looked good in his return, hitting 94 with the fastball and showing good movement on his breaking pitches, walking one and striking out one. Kelly Johnson had two hits and drove in two runs with a two-out single in the ninth, giving the Braves five RBIs on the day with two outs. What do you know? Clutch hitting. And check out the news from Rome (Georgia, not Italy) late Thursday: John Smoltz spun two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out three, and says he expects to be activated for Monday’s homestand opener against first-place Florida. Mike Gonzalez also was in action on a minor-league rehab assignment Thursday, for Double-A Mississippi: one inning, two hits, no runs. Here comes the calvary!

The Bad: For some reason, Boyer was back on the bump today and he simply didn’t look comfortable, walking two hitters in 2/3 of an inning. Why, Bobby? Why must you burn your top relievers like a chain smoker burns Camels? No Mark Kotsay for the fourth consecutive day as he tries to work out back problems. The Braves are going to have to decide soon whether or not to disable Kotsay, as they are carrying 13 pitchers since activating Soriano. Corky Miller got a rare start and responded with an 0-for-3, dropping his average to .077 (to be fair to poor Corky, he got robbed on a couple of balls and walked twice). The Braves left 13 on base, but come on … they WON a road game. We shall not quibble over minute details.

View from the Sports Garage: So here’s the REAL story: When the Braves’ hitters got their travel agenda for the road trip, their copy said the road trip started Thursday, not Tuesday. Yeah, whatever. After wasting two outstanding efforts from their pitching staff in the opening two games of this series, Atlanta found their stroke and pounded the Brewers for 12 hits. Just as promising was the Braves’ approach at the plate. Atlanta drew 11 walks Thursday, displaying the patient mindset that served it so well during the recent 8-3 homestand. Teixeira has hit well in stretches throughout May, but his lack of power has been troublesome to some fans. He now has six long balls at the 1/3rd mark of the season. Not exactly what Scott Boras had in mind, I would imagine, but Tex tends to heat up with the weather, so his bomb in the fifth may be a harbinger of things to come. As for Campillo, man, he was stellar: 73 pitches, 49 strikes. He left a few up in the zone in the fifth after one of those problematic blisters reopened on his hand. Maybe swinging the warclub in the top of the fifth broke open the blister, but career hit No. 1 helped break open the game. Maybe it was the travel agenda. Maybe it was the fact Atlanta wore those all-blue lids (the ones that go with the all-blue alternative road jerseys) with the traditional gray road uni top on Thursday. Whatever it was, here’s hoping the Braves packed it on the charter to Cincinnati. Exactly 1/3rd of the way through the season, the Braves are 29-25 (two games behind idle Florida in the East) and on pace to go 87-75. I think all of us would agree this team should’ve won three or four more games (at least) in the first third of the season (Wednesday’s game comes to mind right away). At some point this team has to start playing better on the road. Hopefully, Thursday marks the point where it turns around.

On deck
Braves at Reds
7:10 p.m. today, Great American Ball Park

The Skinny: The trio of Tim Hudson, Jo-Jo Reyes and Campillo has set the bar pretty high for Tom Glavine. Huddy, Jo-Jo and Jorge all authored dominating starts on the first three games of the road trip. Now Glavine (2-2, 4.76 ERA) climbs the bump, coming off his worst start of the season. He allowed six earned runs and walked six in a loss Sunday to Arizona. Tommy will need his changeup working down in the zone against the Reds in their little bandbox of a ballpark. Balls zoom out of Great American Ball Park (or as most scribes and bloggers call it, GABP). His opposition on the mound, Edinson Volquez (7-2, 1.31 ERA), leads the majors in ERA and is tied for the big-league lead in strikeouts (76). He pitched well in a loss to the Braves on May 2 at Turner Field, allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits in six innings, striking out nine. He doesn’t walk many hitters (33 in 62 innings). The Braves have their work cut out for them in the opener, but maybe Thursday’s hit parade will follow them from Milwaukee to the banks of the Ohio River.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Brewers 1, Braves 0

Top of the Order: Jo-Jo Reyes pitched the best game of his major-league career, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the disaster that is the Braves on the road, Atlanta falling to 6-18 away from Turner Field and 0-11 in road games decided by one run.

The Good: It’s a loss in the scorebook, but Reyes showed why the Braves’ brass has ignored those who criticize the 23-year-old lefty. Displaying precise command of his breaking ball and combining that with a fastball that overmatched the Milwaukee lineup on the inner half of the plate, Reyes pitched like an ace: seven innings, two hits, one run, three walks and a career-best nine strikeouts. Chipper Jones did his part offensively, going 1-for-2 with two walks, keeping his major-league leading average at .418. Yunel Escobar, Mark Teixeira and Gregor Blanco had one hit each. Rafael Soriano, out since April 7, was activated from the disabled list. Omar Infante got the start in left field and made a couple of nice plays. That’s all I’ve got … get ready for the bad news, of which there is plenty.

The Bad: Good grief, where to start? How about before the game. Mark Kotsay felt better, but his back still wouldn’t let him play as he missed his third consecutive game. Matt Diaz flew back to Atlanta; he was placed on the disabled list with a strained ligament in his left knee and will be examined today. The Atlanta offense continues to struggle on the road, mustering just four hits off the duo of Jeff Suppan and Salomon Torres – wait, is this the mid 1990s? Pathetic. Brian McCann struck out three times, the last one in a meltdown of an eighth-inning at-bat in which Mac argued with home plate umpire Mark Wegner, then stood outside the batter’s box while Wegner motioned to Suppan to throw a pitch, which was a strike. A bush-league move by Wegner, but McCann’s got to shake off the bad call and get back in the box. Maybe it didn’t matter whether the Braves were in the box or not, as they left eight on base. Reyes walked J.J. Hardy to lead off the eighth, and Blaine Boyer missed his location to Richie Weeks. Result: triple down the left-field line, run scores. Reyes gets the loss, the Braves fall again. Ugh, somebody wake me up from this nightmare.

View from the Sports Garage: Just when you think the Braves have tapped out your frustration meter when it comes to these road games, they find a way to send the needle zooming through the red. Eleven – I said ELEVEN – one-run losses on the road, and it’s May 29. But this one takes the cake, even above (or is it below?) that debacle in Washington on the final day of April. Reyes pitched his butt off, showing the stuff, the confidence, the talent that validates the claim he can and may eventually be a No. 2 starter. Dude was flat-out awesome, using his fastball effectively and hitting the corners with his breaking ball. But it didn’t matter. If it’s not crystal clear now the offense has been the problem, I don’t know what else I can do to convince you. The Braves, for all their offensive talent, simply stink in the clutch. Yes, I know this comes two games after I wrote about their clutch hitting on the homestand, the bats coming around, yada yada yada. Forget that. That was then. This is now, and now is not pretty. Suppan pitched well, indeed, but these are games playoff teams absolutely HAVE to win, especially when one of the kids who’s trying to establish himself goes out there and spins one of the best three or four starts you’ve gotten all freaking season! Didn’t you just know the Braves were going to lose this game as the string of zeros in the top half of each inning grew longer and longer? Of course you did. A lot of this is mental, and don’t think for one second the guys in the clubhouse aren’t thinking about it. That’s why you saw so much frustration from the Atlanta hitters tonight. I was livid about Wegner allowing Suppan to pitch while McCann collected himself after arguing strike one in the eighth, but Mac, you gotta shake that off and get back in the box in a scoreless game and get to work. Come to think of it, this entire lineup has to get to work on figuring out why in the world they tense up tighter than an awkward teenager talking to his prom date’s father for the first time. Another lost opportunity. Another game left on the table. Another one the Braves had no business losing, but lose they did.

On deck
Braves at Brewers
1:05 p.m. today, Miller Park

The Skinny: Jorge Campillo has been the biggest surprise maybe in all of baseball this season – this side of the Rays owning the best record in the bigs, but that’s another story. Campillo (1-0, 0.86 ERA), signed the day after Christmas, has given the Braves two quality starts in a row since moving into the rotation, not allowing an earned run in 10 innings with just six hits given up. Merry Christmas, indeed! For the Brew Crew, Seth McClung (2-1, 3.55 ERA) makes his second start since moving into the rotation. He made 37 starts for the Rays from 2003-06, back when the Rays were the Devil Rays … and when they sucked. Hopefully the blisters that cut short Campillo’s outing Saturday against Arizona have healed, because the Braves really need him to step up and pitch well. It’d be nice if the offense bothered to show up for this one.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Brewers 3, Braves 2

Top of the Order: Back on the road, back in the loss column as Milwaukee scored single runs in the final three innings, the Braves dropping the opening game of a six-game road trip to fall to 6-17 away from Turner Field.

The Good: Tim Hudson deserved a better fate, pitching eight innings and allowing just two runs. He did give up 11 hits, but walked just one and struck out six, pitching well enough to win. Hudson also had a hit in three at-bats. Kelly Johnson extended his hitting streak to 13 games, giving the Braves an early lead with a first-inning solo homer. Gregor Blanco hit his first major-league homer in the second. Chipper Jones went 2-for-4, his big-league leading average now at .418. Rafael Soriano threw a good bullpen session Tuesday; provided his elbow feels good today, look for him to be activated from the disabled list. Mike Gonzalez had a good checkup with team doctors Tuesday and heads out today for Double-A Mississippi to begin his minor-league rehab stint.

The Bad: Horrible offensive showing against Dave Bush, who was pitching to save his spot in Milwaukee’s rotation. Consider it saved; maybe Bush should send the Braves some flowers or something to say thanks. After all, the Brave made Bush look anything but bush, mustering just seven hits. Brian McCann didn’t have a hit, ending his hitting streak at 13 games. Mark Kotsay didn’t start for the second day in a row as his back remains sore. Jeff Bennett couldn’t keep the game tied in the ninth, falling asleep as Bill Hall stole third base, setting up Mike Cameron’s game-winning sacrifice fly. Matt Diaz’ nightmarish season continued, as he injured his left knee in the sixth inning and will go to the disabled list. Diaz could miss several weeks with a strained posterior cruciate ligament. The Phillies moved past the Braves and into second place in the NL East, Atlanta remaining 2 1/2 games behind Florida.

View from the Sports Garage: Heard the saying “the road calls,” right? I’ve got a new one: “the road sucks!” Yep, another road game, another road loss. The Braves had chances early on and – surprise! – couldn’t cash in. Then, Atlanta swung the sticks like they had an 11 p.m. dinner engagement in Green Bay. In the final seven innings, the Braves saw just 72 pitches. Yunel Escobar, hitting leadoff, was especially impatient, looking at just eight pitches in his four at-bats. It’s one thing to be aggressive, another matter altogether to hack senselessly, particularly against a pitcher like Bush who has struggled this season. Huddy deserved far better, but you got the sense of the way this thing was going when the Brewers tied the game on a ball off Hudson’s foot with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Bennett, for all his good work this season, totally lost track of the situation in the ninth, allowing the speedy Hall to get a five-step jump on that steal of third base. Somebody please tell me what in the world it is when this team leaves Turner Field? This team looked nothing like the team that won eight of 11 on the recently completed homestand. No excuse for a performance like this, especially against a team that had lost 15 of its past 23. Same story, different day. Like I said, the road sucks.

On deck
Braves at Brewers
8:05 p.m., Miller Park

The Skinny: Jo-Jo Reyes took a step backward in his last start. The Braves need him to reverse that movement tonight. Reyes (2-2, 5.84 ERA) had pitched well in his previous two outings leading into Friday’s game against Arizona, outings marked by good pitch location. But Reyes consistently missed his spots Friday and it resulted in a five-run deficit in the first inning. He has to be more consistent. For the Brewers, Jeff Suppan (2-4, 4.47 ERA) could have gotten the victory against Washington his last time out, only to be undone by his defense. Since beating the Cubs in his first start April 2, Suppan has won just once. It’s a matchup that really doesn’t favor either team too much. Hopefully, the Braves will be a lot more patient against Suppan than they were against Bush.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 7, Diamondbacks 3

Top of the Order: The Braves chased Brandon Webb – arguably the best pitcher in baseball – by the fifth inning, and combined clutch hitting with great bullpen work to capture the series finale over Arizona, finishing the homestand at 8-3.

The Good: Mark Teixeira continued his May awakening (.378, 10 RBIs in his past 10 games) by going 2-for-4 with four RBIs Monday, all four ribbies coming in the first two innings, two of which came with two outs and runners in scoring position. Rookie Gregor Blanco went 3-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. He’s hitting .299 and continues to earn more playing time. Chipper Jones went 1-for 3 and walked twice, his major-league leading average dipping one point to .416. Yunel Escobar added two hits as the Braves pounded out 12 hits, 10 off Webb. Ruben Gotay added a pinch-hit single in the fifth to drive in a run. Jeff Bennett came on with the tying run at the plate in the top of the fifth and got out of trouble. Manny Acosta and Blaine Boyer locked it down from there, each throwing two scoreless innings to finish the game. Acosta earned the victory. And here come the reinforcements for the pitching staff: Buddy Carlyle returned to the active roster from the disabled list, as the Braves designated Chris Resop for assignment. Rafael Soriano is expected to be activated in the next day or two if today’s bullpen session goes well. Mike Gonzalez is expected to start a minor-league rehab assignment sometime this week, too.

The Bad: What is it with blisters and this pitching staff? Now it’s Jair Jurrjens who has a blister, one that hindered his sinker Monday and forced him from the game after 4 2/3 innings. Jurrjens wasn’t spectacular (eight hits, three runs, two walks, four strikeouts), but he wasn’t bad either. Mark Kotsay was scratched from the lineup with back soreness that isn’t expected to sideline him for Tuesday’s series opener at Milwaukee. The Braves left 10 runners on base. The Marlins beat the Mets to keep the Braves 2 ½ games out of first … but seriously, you never can consider the Mets losing to be a bad thing.

View from the Sports Garage: Wow, what a homestand! An 8-3 finish against three playoff contenders, the A’s, Mets and D’Backs. What’s encouraging to me is not just the fact Atlanta won eight of 11 on this homestand, but the way the Braves played as a whole. Clutch hitting. Solid starting pitching. Outstanding bullpen work. Fundamental baseball (both Jurrjens and Jo-Jo Reyes put down perfect bunts Monday, for example). This team came home May 16 stuck at .500 and wallowing in mediocrity. Now, they’re five games over and look like they’re ready to play like a playoff-caliber squad the rest of the season. The bullpen is about to be bolstered by the return of Soriano and Gonzalez (and maybe John Smoltz, too), which is why you saw Acosta and Boyer stretched out to two innings each Monday. The offense is absolutely clicking right now with Escobar, Jones, Teixeira, Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson and Blanco flat out killing the ball. The starting pitching has been good enough on most nights. Now comes the tough part: Turning things around on the road, where Atlanta is a ghastly 6-16 (compared to a sparkling 22-7 at Turner Field).

On deck
Braves at Brewers
8:05 p.m. today, Miller Park

The Skinny: Tim Hudson (7-3, 2.97 ERA) climbs the hill for the Braves in the opener of a six-game road swing through Milwaukee and Cincinnati. Huddy was fantastic his last time out, pitching eight strong innings to slay Johan Santana and the Mets. He’s pitched like an ace in four of his past five starts (four victories), and tonight is a chance for Timmy to set the tone for the road trip. Man up, Huddy! The Brew Crew – who has lost 15 of its past 23 – counters with Dave Bush (1-5, 6.56 ERA), who is hanging onto his spot in the rotation by a thread after allowing six earned runs his last time out against Pittsburgh. He’s already been sent to the minors once this season. Hopefully, the Braves make it an easy decision for Milwaukee manager Ned Yost by blasting Bush and opening the road trip in a good way tonight.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Diamondbacks 9, Braves 3

Top of the Order: Tom Glavine struggled throughout his outing, Eric Byrnes’ grand slam in the fifth breaking the game open as the Braves fell for the second time in three games and for just the seventh time this year at Turner Field.

The Good: Boy, this is going to take some doing to find something positive from an otherwise lethargic and rotten effort. Phil Stockman pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief and was the only Braves’ hurler on this day not to allow a run, striking out four. Omar Infante started at third base and went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Yunel Escobar had a hit, a walk and an RBI from the leadoff spot. Kelly Johnson drove in a run and scored once batting in the third spot, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Jeff Francoeur had a hit and threw out a runner at second base. Brian McCann pushed his hitting streak to 12 games with a hit, moving his average in May to .423. The Braves rallied from an early 2-0 deficit, briefly taking a 3-2 lead before things got out of hand. Off the field, word is closer Rafael Soriano, out since April 7, could be activated for today’s series finale.

The Bad: We’ll start with the pitching, which allowed a season-high 11 walks. Glavine walked six, fell behind 2-0 after one inning, then gave up Byrnes’ grand slam (just the second allowed by Glavine in his 22-year career) in the fifth. He finished with six walks, six runs and five hits allowed in 4 2/3 innings. Will Ohman was terrible, allowing three hits, two runs and a walk in just 1/3 of an inning. Chris Resop walked two and gave up a run in 1 2/3 innings of mop-up work. The Braves’ offense was lifeless, mustering just six hits – all singles. Chipper Jones, the majors’ leading hitter at .417, was scratched with back spasms. He expects to return to the lineup for today’s series finale. John Smoltz reported soreness after Saturday’s minor-league rehab assignment, but the Braves don’t think it’s serious and Smoltz may be activated at some point during this week’s road trip. McCann left the game in the eighth with dizziness; again, the Braves aren’t concern and expect McCann to play today.

View from the Sports Garage: Butt ugly, no other way to describe it. Glavine’s location betrayed him from the beginning. Unlike Tuesday, when he struggled in the first inning against the Mets before settling down, Glavine never found a groove. Byrnes’ grand slam broke things open, and Ohman and Resop then tossed some extra gasoline on the fire. But to be truthful, the game was over after Byrnes’ shot. The Atlanta offense was brutal. Not having Chipper in the lineup certainly hurt, but the Braves couldn’t get anything going against the D’Backs. It was a painful day in the standings, as the Marlins swept a doubleheader from the Giants to push the Braves 2 ½ games out of first in the NL East. An abomination of an effort from the Braves, who now face the prospects of trying to split the series and finish an otherwise-stellar homestand with some momentum by beating Brandon Webb in today’s series finale. Speaking of which …

On deck
Braves vs. Diamondbacks
1:05 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Webb is in unfamiliar territory – coming off a loss, as the Marlins handed the 2006 Cy Young winner his first defeat of the season after nine consecutive victories his last time out. They don’t come much tougher than Webb (9-1, 2.69 ERA), who spun 42 consecutive scoreless innings last season, a stretch that included a complete-game gem at Turner Field last August. For the Braves, Jair Jurrjens (5-3, 2.64 ERA) once again plays stopper. The young right-hander sparkled against the Mets in his last outing, going seven strong innings and getting lots of run support. After the way the bats were swung Sunday, hopefully Jurrjens’ mates will give him a better effort today. Jurrjens has taken a liking to Turner Field; he’s 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA at home this season. It’s a dandy pitching matchup between the guys ranked fifth (Jurrjens) and sixth (Webb) in the NL in ERA. At 7-3 on the homestand, the Braves need a win to carry some momentum onto the upcoming road trip to Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 3, Diamondbacks 1

Top of the Order: Jeff Francoeur blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, as the Braves bounced back from Friday night’s drubbing to win a pitchers’ duel at Turner Field, improving its NL-best home record to 21-6.

The Good: One night after Arizona ripped the Braves for 11 runs, the combination of Jorge Campillo, Jeff Bennett, Will Ohman and Blaine Boyer shut down the Snakes, holding Arizona to one run on three hits. Campillo was outstanding again (four innings, two hits, no walks – again! – and three strikeouts). Boyer earned his first victory since 2005 with 1 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings. Bennett pitched three innings and added his first major-league hit. Speaking of hits, Francoeur led the way offensively, going 2-for-4 and crushing a Chad Qualls slider into the seats in left field for the game-winner. And wasn’t it good to see the celebration at home plate, the Braves mobbing their struggling right-fielder? Indeed. Chipper Jones pushed his major-league leading average to .417 with two hits. He led off the ninth with a single, setting up Francoeur’s heroics. Gregor Blanco, the only lefty to start against Randy Johnson, ripped his first career triple and scored on Yunel Escobar’s third-inning single. And what about the double-play Escobar turned in the sixth, where he bare-handed the ball, stepped on second, and threw to first to get Bennett out of a jam? Stellar. Down on the farm, John Smoltz pitched a pain-free, 12-pitch inning for Double-A Mississippi, allowing an infield hit but no runs.

The Bad: Somebody get the Braves’ pitchers some pickle juice, because blisters are becoming a problem. Campillo struggled a bit with his curve ball because of blisters that ended his day after four innings. Bennett walked three and needed Escobar’s heroics up the middle to escape the sixth, then allowed a run to tie the game in the seventh. He also committed a throwing error. Matt Diaz and Corky Miller each started and each responded by going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

View from the Sports Garage: What can you say after you send a guy with one major-league victory to the bump, and he matches a future Hall of Famer pitch-for-pitch, then your bullpen holds things together until your struggling young superstar wins it with a walk-off shot? That describes the way the Braves responded to the pounding they took Friday night. You’ve got to be proud of this team for the way they bounced back from Friday night. Games like this launch winning streaks, folks, and one more winning streak puts this team where it needs to be: first place in the NL East. The blister aside, Campillo was awesome again, getting lots of movement on his breaking stuff (not as much thanks to the blister, but still enough to frustrate Arizona). The bullpen did its job: one run allowed in five innings. The offense struggled against Johnson, but then again, many teams do. The Braves stayed patient, made the plays they needed to make to stay in the game, and Francoeur came through at the end. That’s 7-2 on this ultra-important homestand, and with the Marlins being rained out Saturday night, the Braves move to within one skinny game of the top spot in the East. Encouraging news about Smoltz, too. Things indeed are looking up as the homestand winds down.

On deck
Braves vs. Diamondbacks
1:35 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: The last time Micah Owings played at Turner Field, the former Gainesville High Red Elephant (yes, that’s the school’s nickname; covered that program for four years and if I had a dollar for every time I wrote that … but I digress) single-handedly wrecked the Braves. Owings pitched seven strong innings last Aug. 18 against Atlanta, and went 4-for-5 at the plate with two homers and six RBIs. While his hitting gets lots of attention (he’s at .323 this year with a homer and three RBIs, and Arizona manager Bob Melvin has used him as a pinch hitter on occasion), Owings (5-2, 3.81 ERA) is developing into a really good pitcher. He struck out a career-high 10 in his last start, a tough 3-2 loss at Florida. For the Braves, Tom Glavine (2-1, 3.98 ERA) allowed a first-inning run in his last start, but then shut down the Mets from there, setting down the final 17 hitters he faced for his second victory of the season. He’s went five-plus innings in six of his eight starts, and a good effort today would be welcomed for the Braves, who had to use the bullpen for five innings Saturday.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Diamondbacks 11, Braves 1

Top of the Order: The Braves’ five-game winning streak ended with a thud, as Doug Davis returned from cancer thyroid surgery by stifling the Atlanta offense while Jo-Jo Reyes was hit hard in the series opener at Turner Field.

The Good: Not too many rays of sunshine on this day, and most of it came off the field. John Smoltz headed out to Knoxville to begin his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Mississippi on Saturday. Manager Bobby Cox signed a one-year contract extension that will keep the venerable skipper in the dugout through the end of 2009. Rafael Soriano threw 14 pitches, nine for strikes, during his one inning of work in a rehab assignment for Mississippi. Mike Gonzalez threw an inning at extended spring training, striking out a batter … yeah, we’re focusing on the positives tonight away from Turner Field; it was that bad tonight for the big-league club. OK, there were a few good things that happened at 755 Hank Aaron Boulevard. Like Chipper Jones getting a hit in his only official at-bat, raising that scorching big-league average to .415. Like Brian McCann pushing his average to .337 with a 2-for-2 night. Like Kelly Johnson reaching .300 with a hit in three at-bats and driving in the Braves’ lone run. Like Phil Stockman pitching a scoreless inning of relief, striking out one. Like Yunel Escobar returning to the lineup after missing two games following that nasty collision with Ryan Church Tuesday night. And, even though he shut down the Braves, cheers for Davis, who has experienced no complications from his cancer surgery and returned to the bump six weeks and one day after the procedure. Attaboy, Doug.

The Bad: Just a bad night at the office, but it’s all the more jarring when it comes on the heels of six wins in the past week. Reyes’ night was torpedoed by bad location early, the left-hander allowing two home runs in the first inning en route to a dismal five-inning performance (six hits allowed, eight runs, seven earned, three walks). Chris Resop, who appears on his way out of town once the Rehabbing Relieving Trio (sounds like the name of a cool band, huh?) begins returning, hastened his exit from the Braves with two hits, two runs and a walk in two innings. Royce Ring gave up a homer in his one inning of work. Maybe Jeff Francoeur needs another day off; 0-for-4 with a strikeout, dropping his average to .258. Like I said, just a bad night at the yard. And finally, best of luck to Brayan Pena, who was designated for assignment before the game. A victim of the numbers’ game (although for the life of me, I don’t understand why it was Pena and not Corky Miller sent packing), Pena in all likelihood will be claimed off waivers by another team. Here’s hoping the kid gets a chance to play for somebody in the majors.

View from the Sports Garage: Didn’t see this one coming, did you? Actually, maybe we should have. You truly can’t win them all, although it was fun to watch the Braves do just that during their invigorating four-game sweep of the Dastardly Mets. Still, over the course of a 162-game season, every team is going to experience some nights like this. The D’Backs came to town smarting after being swept by the Marlins, their offense struggling away from home (just six runs scored in their previous six road games, all games Arizona lost). Arizona jumped all over Reyes from the get-go, no doubt coming out fired up to try and give Davis an early cushion. This one had Arizona’s name written all over it from the beginning, from the fact Davis’ story is so inspiring to the fact the D’Backs are simply too good an offensive team to average one measly run a game for very long. They broke out tonight. Hopefully, it didn’t break Reyes’ confidence, as the lefty has made strides in this his second major-league season. Push it aside and get ready for the next three games in this series.

On deck
Braves vs. Diamondbacks
3:55 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: So who you got today, the dude with 288 career victories, or the dude with one more major-league victory than me? From a historical stats standpoint, Arizona clearly has the advantage with Randy Johnson (4-1, 4.42 ERA) toeing the slab for the Snakes. But don’t sell Jorge Campillo (1-0, 0.99 ERA) short. The find of the offseason by Frank Wren authored the most impressive start by a Brave on this stellar homestand in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, striking out seven and allowing just three hits in six shutout innings. He didn’t allow a runner past first base in just his second career start, his first since 2005, to earn his first big-league W. Johnson, who started the season on the disabled list, is rounding into form, having won his past three starts. In his last start, he went a season-long seven innings against the Tigers. And the Big Unit loves pitching at Turner Field in May: on May 18, 2004, Johnson pitched a perfect game against the Braves in Atlanta.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 4, Mets 2

Top of the Order: Tim Hudson rebounded from two early home runs with an outstanding effort, and Chipper Jones slew the Mets again with the game-winning single during a three-run seventh inning, sparking the Braves to their fifth victory in a row and capping a four-game sweep of their biggest NL-East rival before a fired-up gathering at Turner Field.

The Good: In a pitchers’ duel with Mets ace Johan Santana that lived up every bit to its pregame billing, Hudson was super. Pitches No. 14 and 15 of the night were hit into the seats, putting the Braves in a 2-0 second-inning hole, but otherwise Huddy stifled the Mets over eight innings, allowing seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts. The Braves’ offense chipped away at Santana all night, breaking out for the three-spot in the seventh. Jones went 2-for-4, raising his big-league leading average to .412. Mark Kotsay and Mark Teixeira also had two hits each. The top four spots in the lineup (Omar Infante, Kotsay, Jones, Teixeira) finished 7-for-16 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Kelly Johnson went 3-for-4 to raise his average to .299, his hustle double leading off the seventh setting the table for the heroics. The defense was outstanding; the Braves turned three double plays in the final four innings, and Kotsay’s sliding catch of Carlos Delgado’s liner ended the game and set up an impromptu celebration in the stands. Will Ohman came on and got that lineout for his first save of the season. Off the field, John Smoltz threw for the third consecutive day and the six hitters who faced him in a simulated situation reported Smoltz used a three-quarters delivery very effectively.

The Bad: Hudson put the Braves in an early hole with bad pitch location to Carlos Beltran and Delgado in the second, missing over the plate on balls that were ripped into the seats. Atlanta had chances against Santana throughout the evening but could only score once until the fateful seventh. Manny Acosta gave up a hit in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate. Jeff Francoeur overswung most of the night at Santana’s breaking stuff, going 0-for-4 and leaving five runners on base. Yunel Escobar didn’t play for the second straight day, but reported feeling better and anticipating a return to the lineup tonight. The Marlins refuse to realize they are the Marlins, finishing a sweep of Arizona that keeps the Braves 1 ½ games out in the NL East.

View from the Sports Garage: It started in the bottom of the seventh inning, from our seats in Section 203, from the group of high school students in front of us, the middle-aged folks on our row, the elderly people farther behind us: “Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!” Sweep, indeed. The Braves authored their most electrifying victory of the year, and their most important, definitely delivering a statement against their most-hated rivals in a game that had the attention of the baseball world because of who climbed the bump for both teams. Hudson was fantastic, the two missed pitches in the second aside. When the Mets were able to start mounting threats in the late innings, Huddy made the pitches he needed and his defense played fantastic behind him. Santana worked himself in and out of trouble most of the night, but in the seventh finally fell victim to the very thing that’s sparked these Braves this month: fundamental hitting. After Johnson’s double, Hudson took a pitch under the chin, glared and barked at Santana (further working the home crowd into a frenzy), then got down a perfect bunt with two strikes. Infante, Kotsay, Jones and Teixeira followed and merely hit the ball where it was pitched. No trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark. Great at-bats, in a critical situation, against one of baseball’s best hurlers. It felt and looked every bit like October, and the Braves stepped up, stayed within themselves and delivered with the game on the line. That’s 13 wins in the past 14 at home, where the Braves are 6-1 on the current homestand and 20-5 on the season. This team is playing its best baseball in maybe three years now, and it all comes back to the recipe the Braves used throughout the 1990s in building their dynasty. Stellar starting pitching. Outstanding defense. Solid situational hitting. Good relief work. Put it all together, and the Braves and their fans are flying high this morning. This homestand, as I wrote leading into it, is very critical. So far, the Braves have played like a team that is hell-bent on taking control of the NL East. At the same time, they improved to 7-2 over the Mets, who look like they just might be teetering on the brink of implosion as Memorial Day weekend begins. In four games that could help to shape the summer in the East, the Braves stood up and delivered a command performance. Bravo, Braves!

On deck
Braves vs. Diamondbacks
7:35 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: His numbers may not show it, but Jo-Jo Reyes is growing up. And as a result, there is a sense of stability beginning to develop around the fourth spot in the Braves’ rotation. Reyes (2-1, 4.12 ERA) has been plagued in his past three outings by a blister on his left index finger, but the lefty was good enough to grind it out into the sixth inning Sunday against Oakland, picking up his second win of the season. He’s allowed 19 hits in his past two starts, but Reyes is throwing strikes – just two walks combined his past two times out – and you can see his confidence growing. Arizona sends Doug Davis (1-1, 3.72 ERA) to the bump tonight and I hope the fans at Turner Field will give Davis a warm welcome. Six weeks and one day ago, Davis underwent surgery to have a cancerous thyroid removed. Davis hasn’t started since April 8 and is a guy who walks plenty of hitters but is effective getting out of trouble. The D’Backs come to town after being swept in Florida, so the Snakes need Davis to pitch well. For the Braves, it’s four more chances at home to deliver another statement, this time against the NL-West leader, before hitting the road for Milwaukee and Cincinnati next week.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 11, Mets 4

Top of the Order: Jeff Francoeur returned from a sorely needed night off with a bang, missing hitting for the cycle by a double as Atlanta bombed the Mets for a third-consecutive victory over its NL-East rival at Turner Field.

The Good: Frenchy’s back! After sitting out the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader and seeing his consecutive-game streak end at 370, Francoeur responded with a three-hit night (single, triple, homer), scored a run and drove in four to highlight the 14-hit Atlanta offensive explosion. Mark Teixeira added three more hits and three RBIs, raising his average to .274. Brian McCann stayed red hot: three more hits, three runs scored and two RBIs, his average rising to .331. Chipper Jones went 1-for-2, that one hit career homer No. 398 to tie Dale Murphy for most by an Atlanta Brave. His major-league leading average sits at .410. Hitting leadoff, Omar Infante reached base three times (a single and two walks). Kelly Johnson added two hits, further proof he’s better suited hitting seventh in the order. All of this was plenty enough for Jair Jurrjens, who stuffed the Mets for just five hits and two runs (one earned) in seven innings to earn his fifth victory.

The Bad: By the time the game ended, the Braves were without both their starters on the left side of the infield. Shortstop Yunel Escobar didn’t play after that nasty collision with Ryan Church at the end of Tuesday’s doubleheader; Escobar may miss the series finale tonight, too. Jones took a Scott Schoeneweis’ pitch off his right shin in the seventh inning and hobbled off the field. Finally, why in the world did Bobby Cox call on Jeff Bennett in the eighth inning of an 11-2 game? Very, very questionable, giving his workload and the level of importance Bennett has attained in the Braves’ bullpen. Why not let Phil Stockman, Royce Ring and/or Chris Resop finish things out? Bennett allowed two runs in his one inning of work, but he never should’ve been out there in the first place.

View from the Sports Garage: All season long, we’ve moaned and groaned about the lack of production from the middle of the Braves order, in particular the spots from cleanup down through the bottom of the lineup. We all knew what this lineup was capable of producing and now look at what the folks hitting behind Escobar and Jones are doing. Teixeira was hitting .240 on May 16 and was riding a 0-for-14 skid. Since then, he’s raised his average to .274 with three multi-hit games, going 10-for-18 with six runs scored. McCann, who sat at .275 on May 2, hasn’t gotten as much attention as Jones, but he’s been every bit as good this month: eight multi-hit games, 19 RBIs and 11 doubles this month. He’s hitting .419 in May. Johnson looks so much more comfortable hitting seventh. At .231 on May 2, Johnson has raised his average 56 points to .287 in 20 days with six multi-hit games. He’s hitting .357 this month. Francoeur, who desperately needed a day off, got it Tuesday. His response Wednesday: a breaking performance, raising his average 11 points to .269 and hitting his first homer since April 12 in the process. All those numbers add up to this point: The Braves now are getting the offensive production we expected at the start of the season. Add in the solid effort being shown by the pitching staff – both starters and relievers – and the result is a Braves’ team that’s surging. Atlanta has won seven of its past 10 (scoring five or more runs in six of those victories), sits at a season-high four games above .500 at 25-21 and goes for a sweep of the Mets tonight. At 19-5 at home and with eight more games left on this very important homestand, one cannot help but think the Braves are hitting their stride. The pitching has been there for the most part. Now, the offense is making up for lost time, and it’s just a matter of time before the Braves push past pesky Florida and into first place in the NL East.

On deck
Braves vs. Mets
7:10 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: The Braves go for the sweep, and they go against the man who most of the free world anointed the NL Cy Young Award winner … in January. Johan Santana (5-2, 3.30 ERA) has been good, but not other-worldly, as most baseball experts said he would be when the Twins dealt him to the Mets in January. He’s allowed 11 home runs so far, one of the highest totals in baseball, and the Braves beat him at Turner Field in early April. Tim Hudson (6-3, 3.06 ERA) had put together three excellent starts in a row, but allowed a season high five-runs and walked five in five innings Saturday against Oakland. Still, this pitching matchup is quite enticing – two of the better hurlers in the game going at it as the Braves try to polish off the Mets.

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