Sep 21 2008
Anderson, pitching lead Braves to win as Mets fall from first (ha ha!)
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Braves 4, Mets 2
Top of the Order: A three-run first inning was all the Braves needed to knock the Mets out of first place in the NL East, as Jorge Campillo and three relievers combined to hold New York in check.
The Good: Josh Anderson may strike out a bunch for a leadoff hitter, but man, when he does connect, good things happen. Anderson went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, and stole two bases (he has eight in limited time in the bigs, after swiping 42 at Triple-A Richmond). Kelly Johnson extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a double, and drive in a run. Casey Kotchman singled and drove home a run. Brian McCann also drove in a run. All of this was plenty for Atlanta’s hurlers on this night. Campillo looked great, giving up just five hits and two runs over six solid innings, picking up his eighth victory. Will Ohman allowed a hit in 1/3 inning. Jeff Bennett struck out two in a perfect 1 2/3 innings, and Mike Gonzalez nailed down his 12th save with a perfect ninth, striking out two. Great to see Gonzo pitch well after his recent struggles.
The Bad: Chipper Jones did not play again with that sore shoulder and probably won’t be in there today, either. Hoss leads Albert Pujols by 11 points in the race for the NL batting title (.362 to .351). Yunel Escobar once again didn’t play with a hamstring injury, and there is talk Esco could be done for the season. Otherwise, no complaints at all from this one.
View from the Sports Garage: In front of more than 50,000 at Turner Field, the Braves played like they were in a pennant race. Good starting pitching. Solid bullpen work. Just enough offense. Anderson, one of several minor leaguers honored before the game by the organization, went out and showed he belongs at the major-league level. He gives the Braves a bona-fide stolen base threat every time he gets on base. If he can cut down on his strikeouts, dude has a chance to be a darn fine major-league player. Campillo looked like the Campillo we saw in May and June, changing speeds, hitting the corners and in control. The Mets really needed this game, and it was delightful to see the Braves knock them out of first place. Just an overall good night in front of a large crowd. Hopefully, the good feeling those folks left the ballpark with will carry over into next season.
On deck
Braves vs. Mets
1:30 p.m. today, Turner Field
The Skinny: Time to see how James Parr (1-0, 2.20 ERA) bounces back from a rough outing. After two six-inning shutout stints in his first two major-league outings, Parr gave up 10 hits and four earned runs Tuesday against Philadelphia. But other than a couple of hangers that he got hurt on, Parr didn’t throw it that bad. For the Mets, who find themselves staring a second-consecutive division choke job square in the face, right-hander Mike Pelfrey (13-10, 3.67 ERA) toes the slab. He dominated the Braves Aug. 30 at Shea Stadium, pitching a three-hit complete game. Final home game until 2009; time to go out on a good note.
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