Apr 11 2009
Braves overcome storms, bullpen to down Nats in extras
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
Braves 6, Nationals 5 (10 innings)
Top of the Order: The Braves survived a long rain delay and two bullpen meltdowns, Kelly Johnson driving home Jordan Schafer with the game winner in the bottom of the 10th, nearly six hours after the first pitch.
The Good: Johnson doubled once and singled twice, finishing 3-for-5 with a walk, a run scored, and the game-winning RBI. Schafer went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Jeff Francoeur made up for a couple of rocky at-bats early with a tie-breaking, seeing-eye single in the seventh, scoring Brian McCann to snap a 4-4 tie. McCann finished 3-for-4 with three doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Yunel Escobar belted a three-run homer to left-center in the third, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored and the three RBIs. Matt Diaz walked twice. Derek Lowe’s outing was cut short by the rain, but the new ace of the Braves’ staff dazzled with six punchouts in three innings. Lowe gave up four hits and a run, walking two. Jeff Bennett induced a double-play ball in the sixth to end the inning and keep the game tied. Rafael Soriano was solid, rolling through the heart of the Nats’ order in the eighth with a 1-2-3 frame. Jorge Campillo got the win, pitching a scoreless 10th.
The Bad: The weather was rough, scary, tough to deal with. Severe thunderstorms, including a pounding of hail that – let me tell you from first-hand experience – hurt like heck as it smacked us in the head and face in our upper-level seats. The bullpen struggles from the middle guys continued. Buddy Carlyle’s season debut didn’t go well: two runs, four hits, two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Peter Moylan gave up a hit to the only batter he faced. The sidearming Aussie was charged with allowing a run. Johnson was thrown out at home plate to end the eighth. Frenchy struck out twice. Mike Gonzalez couldn’t shut the door in the ninth, allowing three hits and a walk, and the tying run to score on an infield single that had Gonzo not deflected the ball, probably goes into center field and scores two runs. Diaz didn’t help matters any, losing a ball in the lights to start the carnage of the ninth. Braves pitchers walked seven. Braves hitters left 12 on base.
View from the Sports Garage: First and foremost, a big attaboy to the grounds crew. When I left Turner Field an hour into the rain delay, there was a ton of standing water behind third base, shortstop, and all along the warning track. I really didn’t think they’d be able to get the players back on the field. When play resumed shortly before 11 p.m., the field looked great. Lotta energy in the park. It was fun to be back at Turner Field for the first time in seven months, and the Braves looked like they were energized in the early going, too. Major concerns about the middle of the bullpen, though. One game after the epic meltdown in Philly, the middle relievers let a three-run lead slide away. Moylan didn’t have it. Carlyle left too many pitches over the plate. Thankfully, Bennett got that double-play ball. McCann had a heck of a night. He started the seventh-inning rally with a two-out double on a great swing on a ball inside. He saved a run with a great block of a Gonzalez pitch in the ninth. Soriano looked great, folks, he really did. Gonzalez never looked comfortable out there. But Schafer, the kid, continues to begin his candidacy for rookie of the year. He got the 10th started with a leadoff single. It would’ve been nice to have stayed for the duration, but it was nice to celebrate a victory in the Sports Garage after Wednesday’s horrid showing by the bullpen. Four games, three wins … yeah, I’ll take that all season long.
On deck
Braves vs. Nationals
7 p.m. today, Turner Field
The Skinny: Kenshin Kawakami’s big day arrives. The 33-year-old Japanese right-hander makes his major-league debut for the Bravos, and he’s hoping this trip to the Turner Field bump goes better than his exhibition appearance one week ago. During that matchup with Detroit, Kawakami walked seven. For the Nationals, lefty John Lannan hopes to rebound from a rough debut, in which he allowed six hits and six runs in three innings.
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