Jun 20 2008
After late rally, Braves end road trip with another one-run loss
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Rangers 5, Braves 4
Top of the Order: After rallying with two runs in the top of the ninth to even the score, the Braves watched as Blaine Boyer and Jeff Bennett couldn’t keep it there, Jeff Francoeur kicking away a chance to throw out the winning run at home plate as the Braves lost to end the road trip at 4-6.
The Good: This monster road trip is over at last, and that’s the best news of all for a team finishing a 10-game, 10-day, four-city stretch. Whew! In his second major-league start, Charlie Morton struggled with his control but overall didn’t pitch poorly, allowing five hits and three runs with four walks and three strikeouts in pitching into the sixth inning. Kelly Johnson, batting fifth in a shaken-up lineup, went 2-for-4 and stole a base. Mark Teixeira, who DHed (not sure if you refer to it as DHed or DHing … hey, I cover a National League team; enough with these softball rules!) scored twice and doubled, his first and only hit of the series against his former team. For the second game in a row, Omar Infante came through in the ninth, this time a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4. Gregor Blanco, hitting leadoff, didn’t get a hit. But he did walk once, stole a base and battled Eddie Guardado in a 15-pitch at-bat in the eighth before striking out. Mostly, the best news out of this day: this brutal road trip is finished.
The Bad: Facing a pitcher (Scott Feldman) with just one victory all season, the Braves mustered just seven hits. Weak. Chipper Jones went 0-for-4 and, for the first time since April 12, saw his average drop below .400. Hoss comes home with a .394 average after going 6-for-30 (.200) on the roadie. Somebody PLEASE remind me why in the world Jeff Ridgway is here and Phil Stockman is in Richmond ? Ridgway hung a breaking ball to Brandon Boggs after Morton put the first two runners on in the sixth, and Boggs smacked it for a three-run homer to left, turning a 2-1 lead into a 4-2 deficit. Boyer took the loss, allowing the eventual game-winning run on base in the ninth. Why, oh why, did Boyer pitch 1 1/3 innings when he clearly is worn out? Pin that one on Bobby Cox, who burned through SIX relievers. SIX!! So much for all that rest the bullpen got in recent days. Francoeur, in his haste to try and gun down Ian Kinsler at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, couldn’t field the ball cleanly. Maybe Frenchy throws him out. Maybe he doesn’t. He didn’t give himself a chance, though, and that stinks.
View from the Sports Garage: Two ways to look at this. First, the short-focused view: another one-run road loss, one that gives the Braves the longest streak of one-run road losses in baseball history (22, for those of you keeping a tote board at home … and if you are, may I suggest some professional help?). A tough loss, indeed, especially given the fact the Braves climbed off the deck to tie the game with two in the ninth. Now, the broader picture: this team (which had seven road victories all season entering the road trip) won four games on the roadie, including four of the final seven it played after that horrendous three-game sweep in Chicago. This team started the trip 6 ½ games out of first place after being swept by the Phillies, and they come home having gained ½ game in the standings. The inability to win close games continues to hinder this team, and it will keep them from contending in September unless the Braves find a way to start winning some of these close ones. But all in all, I think most of us believed the Braves were on their way into the abyss when the road trip started. Their showing on the road won’t lead anybody to start printing World Series tickets. However, Atlanta survived this grueling stretch and actually sits a half-step closer to first place than they were 10 days ago. Time to come home and get going against a reeling Seattle team that just fired its general manager and its manager, and owns the worst record in all of baseball. If there ever was a time to win three in a row and build some momentum, it’s now.
On deck
Braves vs. Mariners
7:35 p.m. today, Turner Field (ah, home sweet home!)
The Skinny: Jorge Campillo (2-1, 2.17 ERA) lost his last start, but it was as good a performance in a loss as you could ask for from a pitcher. The right-hander pitched an eight-inning complete game in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to the Angels, giving up a two-run homer but otherwise shutting down the opposition. For the Mariners, Erik Bedard (4-4, 4.14 ERA) pitched six innings and struck out eight in his last outing. One of the highest-profile players to change teams in the offseason, the former Orioles’ ace struggled early in the season as the Mariners sunk to the bottom of the AL West standings. The Braves certainly are glad to be home after the long road trip. No better way to open the homestand than by taking care of business in the opener tonight.
—30—
