Apr 08 2009
Johnson, Jones, Jurrjens lead Braves to 2-0 start
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Updated 3:41 p.m.
AND THIS JUST IN: The Braves once again have jumped to a 2-0 first-inning lead, doing so on a day where both Chipper Jones (thumb) and Garret Anderson (calf) are out of the lineup.
Brian McCann followed Yunel Escobar’s two-out double with a two-run homer to right, staking the rolling Braves to a 2-0 lead in the first frame for the third time in three games this season.
Jones’ injury doesn’t appear to be serious, and with tomorrow’s off day, he figures to be OK for Friday night’s home opener. Anderson, who was in the original lineup, may be another story. This is the same calf — the right one — that he strained in his first game in spring training, forcing him to miss three weeks.
Javier Vazquez cruised through a 1-2-3 first inning, and the Braves go down in order in the second. 2-0 Bravos through 1 1/2.
Now to last night’s gamer:
Braves 4, Phillies 0
Top of the Order: The Braves improved to 2-0 on the young season, downing the defending World Series champs again as Jair Jurrjens grinded out 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball, and Kelly Johnson and Chipper Jones went deep.
The Good: Johnson started things off by belting the first pitch of the game from Jamie Moyer into the right-field bleachers. Atlanta would put two runs on the board in the top of the first for the second consecutive game, the second run coming on a Chase Utley error that scored Jones. Chipper added Atlanta’s last run with a solo homer in the fifth, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Johnson drove in the Braves’ third run on an infield single in the fourth, finishing 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored in the leadoff spot. The top three spots in the order finished 5-for-13 with three runs scored and three RBIs. That was more than enough support for Jurrjens, who wasn’t sharp but made key pitches when they counted. Eric O’Flaherty retired all four hitters he faced, wiggling out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth. Rafael Soriano’s debut went well: one walk but no runs in one inning with one strikeout. Mike Gonzalez’s ninth inning went much smoother than Sunday’s outing, the Braves closer needing just nine pitches to retire the Phillies in order. Atlanta pitchers stranded 11 Phillies’ baserunners. Away from the big-league club, Tom Glavine pitched six solid innings in an intrasquad game for Triple-A Gwinnett, remaining on target to make his season debut April 18.
The Bad: Jeff Bennett failed to retire the only batter he faced in the sixth. Johnson let a ground ball get under his glove for an error. Casey Kotchman was thrown out at the plate, but in fairness, Philly left fielder Raul Ibanez made a perfect, no-hop throw to home to cut down Casey.
View from the Sports Garage: Oftentimes last season, we talked about the need for the Braves to win series. If you win series, you’re going to avoid the long losing streaks that take so much out of a team, those five- and six-game skids that can send you plunging in the standings. The Braves have won this series and now have the luxury of, at worst, coming home with a plus-.500 record, and at best of coming home a perfect 3-0. On a cold, raw night, Jurrjens struggled at times with his location, but he buckled down and made the critical pitches when he needed them. Again, the memo that circulated all winter about the Braves lacking power … guess the Braves weren’t included. Two more homers tonight; that’s five in two games. Jurrjens’ effort, coupled with Derek Lowe’s masterpiece on opening night, gives the Braves 13 2/3 scoreless innings from their starters through two games, with just six hits allowed. The bullpen was fantastic, save for the one hit Bennett allowed. Jordan Schafer ran down a couple of balls in center, battling the swirling wind that made everything in the air an adventure on this night. Another great win. You folks do realize the Braves only beat Philly four times in 18 tries last season, including winning just twice in the first 16 tries? That was then, and this is now … time to break out the brooms, and then point the charter jet south for Friday’s home opener.
On deck
Braves at Phillies
3 p.m. today, Citizens Bank Park
The Skinny: Lowe shined in his Braves’ debut Sunday night. Now let’s see if Javier Vazquez can follow suit. The veteran right-hander, picked up in an offseason deal with the White Sox, climbs the bump tonight in his return to the National League after three seasons on Chicago’s southside. Like Lowe, Vazquez brings the promise of steady production (double-digit victories each of the past nine seasons, 198-plus innings pitched and 32-plus starts in each of those campaigns). He’s 10-9 lifetime with a 4.55 ERA lifetime against Philly. For the Phillies, right-hander Joe Blanton looks to continue his great run in a Philly uniform. He went 4-0 in 13 starts after being traded from Oakland last summer, then won a start in the NLDS and one in the World Series. Blanton allowed two runs in two innings in his only appearance against Atlanta last season.
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