ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Rockies at Braves – 08/17/2002

Ugh. Jason Marquis, as I feared, didn’t have his best stuff, and gave up five first inning runs. Then it started raining, but that didn’t save the Braves, who eventually lost 10-3. There haven’t been many losses like that this year.

Bobby and Leo apparently have made it their mission to destroy Jason’s arm in order to save it, or something. If you recall, earlier this season they left him out to get pummelled by the Marlins in order to save the precious seven-man bullpen. Today, they sent him back out there to throw five more innings after a hour and twenty minute rain delay. Considering that nobody in the pen but Smoltz worked last night, having Marquis throw 102 pitches, many of them with a cold arm, was inexplicable… Since it was a blowout, Albie Lopez pitched one inning, the ninth, giving up a hit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wound up starting the next time the fifth spot comes up, but he still stinks, and I’d like to see Marquis get a start on normal rest for once.

Andruw had two hits, one of them a homer, but if he’d gotten his hits in the first and third innings — when the Braves had the bases loaded — we might have had a game. Instead, he struck out both times, and Vinny (of course) finished the innings with his usual aplomb. Vinny then had three hits after the game was already decided. The Braves had 11 hits, the same number as the Rockies, and one more walk, but had only two extra-base hits while Colorado had six. Marcus Giles started but was the only Braves position player to not get a hit. Judging from Bobby’s usage patterns at second and third, that means he should be in the lineup for a week.