Jun 26 2008
Campillo’s arm, bat push Braves to win in series finale
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Braves 4, Brewers 2
Top of the Order: Jorge Campillo dominated on the mound and threw in two hits for good measure, leading the Braves to victory in the finale of a three-game set at Turner Field.
The Good: Campillo was outstanding on the bump, giving up just two runs and four hits in seven innings. He walked nobody and struck out six, throwing 61 of his 88 pitches for strikes. The Braves bullpen, which had an excellent series, slammed the door from there. Blaine Boyer pitched a scoreless eighth, and Mike Gonzalez struck out two in the ninth for his second save. Campillo helped to spark the charge with the sticks, going 2-for-3 and scoring twice. Kelly Johnson, hitting third, was the real catalyst, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs (a pair of those coming with two outs), raising his average to .284. Gregor Blanco had a good day in the leadoff spot, with two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Gotta give some love to Brent Lillibridge, who doubled in the eighth for his first major-league hit. Down on the farm, big doings at Double-A Mississippi. Mark Kotsay – on a rehab assignment – had two hits against Birmingham. But the big story was Tommy Hanson, a hard-throwing right-hander who spun a no-hitter, striking out 14. Hanson was promoted in early May from Single-A Myrtle Beach, where he fanned 49 in just 40 innings. And we have a Mike Hampton sighting, this time in the Gulf Coast League: Hampton gave up two hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out two and reported no pain afterward. He’ll make three more minor-league starts and (hold your breath) if he’s healthy, he could (operative word here: could) join the Braves after the All-Star break.
The Bad: Another day, another injury. This time, it’s Omar Infante, who pulled his right hamstring rounding first base on a double in the second inning. He’s listed as day-to-day for now, but could end up going on the most-populated part of Braves Nation – the disabled list. Chipper Jones, nursing his slightly torn quadriceps muscle, struck out as a pinch hitter, dropping his big-league leading average a point to .394. Tough day for Brian McCann, who struck out three times. Also a tough day for the Braves’ defense – again. Brandon Jones misplayed a ball in left field, Lillibridge got eaten up on a ball during the Brewers’ two-run third, and Campillo committed a throwing error. Gotta tighten up the defense, guys. Finally, Yunel Escobar did not play with a sore shoulder. One might think his DNP has something to do with his Tuesday ejection, although the Braves’ brass denied it.
View from the Sports Garage: Facing the prospects of being swept, the Braves turned on the way-back machine and fashioned the type of victory we saw hundreds of times during their decade of dominance in the 1990s: fantastic pitching and just enough clutch hitting. Campillo, who struggled with his curve ball the past two starts, threw enough effective Uncle Charleys to complement his fastball and change-up, keeping the Brewers off stride and uncomfortable all afternoon. He set down 12 hitters at one point and was in complete control. From there, Boyer and Gonzalez both did their thing in the eighth and ninth, respectively. Gonzo looked fantastic, owning the moment from the time he toed the slab, and further making Braves fans salivate over the fact this team finally has an honest-to-goodness closer. Johnson stepped up and led the way offensively on a day where the Braves played without Jones and Escobar. Down 2-0 going to the bottom of the third, the Braves stayed patient at the plate against Jeff Suppan, didn’t press, and took control of the game. Blanco, who lately has wilted somewhat under the pressure of playing everyday while Kotsay’s back is healing, had a nice day setting the table in the leadoff spot. Very encouraging, to say the least. The Bravos needed this one, without a doubt, and they rebounded from Tuesday’s abysmal performance to win the series finale, finishing the homestand at 3-3. Granted, we all wanted a 5-1 or 6-0 homestand, but given the Phillies’ recent struggles and the fact nobody in the NL East wants to grab control of the division, the .500 showing at home the past week hasn’t hurt this team. Atlanta remains 4 ½ games out. Now it’s on to Toronto for three with the Blue Jays, then back home to welcome in the Phils for three next week. Atlanta needs to make a statement in the final two weeks before the All-Star break. Maybe today’s win is a start. We shall see.
On deck
Braves at Blue Jays
7:07 p.m. (what, 7:05 isn’t good enough north of the border?) Friday, Rogers Centre (gotta love that wacky Canadian spelling, eh?)
The Skinny: Jair Jurrjens (7-3, 3.20 ERA) might want to go back to the clubhouse steps at Wrigley Field, lean down and whisper “thank you.” The young right-hander was struggling with his control when he slipped on the steps June 9, injuring his left ankle and missing his scheduled start the next night. But since returning to the rotation, Jurrjens has shown the sharp location and sparkle that made him an early candidate for rookie of the year. In two starts since injuring the ankle, Jurrjens hasn’t allowed an earned run in 13 2/3 innings. For the Blue Jays, Dustin McGowan (6-5, 4.21 ERA) is on a roll, winning four of his past six starts with 32 strikeouts and just six walks in that span. At home, McGowan has posted a 1.73 ERA. He’s certainly familiar with the Braves; he was an outstanding prep prospect in Georgia during his high-school days, and is one of the better pitchers you probably don’t know a whole lot about. With Tim Hudson and Jo-Jo Reyes slated to pitch the other two games in this series, the Braves turn to Jurrjens to set the tone and build momentum through the weekend, with the division-leading Phillies coming to Turner Field for a critical three-game series starting Tuesday.
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