Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Marlins 10, Braves 4

Top of the Order: Peter Moylan’s bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh broke a 4-4 tie and the Marlins blew it wide open in a disgraceful ninth, the Braves losing consecutive games for the first time this season and dropping this one without Chipper Jones.

The Good: Other than this garbage is over? Not flipping much. Omar Infante, who got the start for Chipper, drove in two runs. Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-4. Rafael Soriano continues to look great, the hard-throwing right-hander throwing nine of his 12 pitches for strikes in a perfect eighth inning. Eric O’Flaherty struck out the only batter he faced, leaving the bases loaded to end the seventh. Buddy Carlyle fired a perfect sixth inning, striking out one (maybe Buddy C. should be pitching in the seventh or eighth or ninth).

The Bad: First of all, no Chipper. That hand bruise really was hindering Hoss in Tuesday’s game, particularly in the final at-bat. Best to try and rest that thing now instead of it getting worse. Derek Lowe was not at his best in his third start in an Atlanta uniform, the right-hander giving up four runs on seven hits with five walks in five unimpressive innings. Moylan made an absolute mess of the seventh. He hit a batter, allowed a hit and walked two hitters, the last coming with the bases loaded to force in a run and break a 4-4 tie. Un-freaking believable. Blaine Boyer continues to pitch himself out of a job, the Marietta native allowing two hits and four runs with a walk and a hit batsman in 1/3 inning. But Mr. Boyer is far from alone: the entire top of the ninth was a disgrace and every player on that field for the Braves in the top of the ninth should be ashamed. The Braves looked like they were ready to get inside the warm clubhouse for the post-game spread, and that is inexcusable from a major-league sports team. Five runs, two errors, and a disinterested group of players standing around as the Marlins ran over and around them. What a load of crap that was.

View from the Sports Garage: Bases loaded walks. I’m sick and darn tired of seeing them. It’s just one run, while a grand slam is four runs. But I’d rather see an opposing batter take a Braves’ reliever deep with the bags packed than to watch another run score because somebody standing on the hill with an A on their cap can’t throw the darn ball over the plate. Come on! FIVE times this has happened in eight games?? I’m sick of this stuff already. Moylan had great movement on his pitches in the seventh … too much movement. He got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but couldn’t get the Marlins to put the ball in play and wasn’t close on ball four. Boyer is out of options, but he’s running out of time. It sucks, because dude has the arm to be a very good pitcher up here. His confidence is just shot right now, and I don’t know why, because Blaine had a great spring. Somebody’s got to come off the roster before Jo-Jo Reyes makes the start Saturday; while I don’t think he’d pass through waivers and the Braves would lose him, I don’t think that will stop the team from making that move. Ugh … two tough losses in a row. Need to get this one today on getaway day, avoid the sweep, and make the flight to Pittsburgh tonight a little more pleasant. But the Braves better show a little more of the passion and swagger we saw in the first two series of the season, or else they’re going to get their butts handed to them on a silver platter again today. Man up, guys, and act like you give a you-know-what, and then go out there and play like it. That top of the ninth was an insult to every man, woman and child who considers themselves a Braves fan.

On deck
Braves vs. Marlins
Noon today, Turner Field

The Skinny: With his first major-league start and first major-league victory under his belt, right-hander Kenshin Kawakami toes the slab looking to end the homestand on a winning note. The right-hander (1-0, 4.50 ERA) beat the Nationals on Saturday, allowing four hits and three runs in six innings, walking four and striking out eight. The Braves would like to see a little better control from Kawakami, but believe that will come in time. For the Marlins, right-hander Anibal Sanchez makes his second start of the season. The 25-year-old Sanchez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) allowed four hits in five scoreless innings against the Mets, walking three and striking out five. The Braves hit him hard last season in two games, scoring 10 runs on 13 hits in eight innings. With the Braves having to burn through most of the bullpen last night, it’s critical Kawakami pitch well and pitch deep into the game today.

—30—