ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Phillies at Braves – 04/18/2003
The Braves are now finally above .500, tied with the Phillies and a half-game behind Montreal. Vinny Castilla was the hero, scoring an early run and driving in two in the sixth to put the Braves up 5-4. Julio Franco also drove in two in the inning, in which the Braves turned a 4-1 deficit to the final score.
Greg Maddux started, gave up two runs in the first, settled down, then gave up two runs in the sixth inning, which he couldn’t get out of. He still lowered his ERA to 7.52, sky-high for him. His control was a lot better than it was early in the year. Kevin Gryboski finished the inning and got the win. Ray King and Roberto Hernandez pitched an inning each for holds, and John Smoltz pitched a perfect ninth (with two strikeouts) for the win.
Though the Braves have a five-game winning streak and are over .500, they’ve still been outscored by twenty runs this year… Mike Hampton is listed as tomorrow’s starter, and I haven’t heard anything otherwise. I don’t know who would be sent down for him… Chipper Jones was back in the lineup in left field. Robert Fick was not back, but Franco would have started against a lefty anyway.
Maddux really wasn’t bad. The Lieberthal and Ledee singles in the sixth were both flares, the Abreu double was a routine play that Chipper went and Luzinskied, and the Burrell double fell somewhere in the middle — a flare that Furcal got to and basically dropped. Furcal also booted that sure double play in the first, costing a run. In a parallel universe in which he pitched with better luck and better defense, Maddux got through seven allowing only four hits and one run.
And, please, when somebody misplays a ball off the bat of a certain unnamed vortex, for the sake of my HACKING MASS squad, let it be scored an error.
Team OPS is 796 right now, which just amazes me. Part of me wants to imagine how the team would be leading the division if Chipper and Maddux had just performed up to par. But then, they’ve also benefited from unexpected performance from tVoS, so there ya go.
Colin
Just checking ESPN before heading out for the evening, the Braves sent Marquis down to AAA to make room for Hampy. http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0419/1541449.html
It obviously gives Jason a chance to do on a regular basis what we feel like his ultimate role will be, and that’s to start,” general manager John Schuerholz said. “And Trey’s more able to deal with that (bullpen) role because his command and control are excellent.”
I’m guessing John S. meant starting in AAA or on another team. They’ll probably send him and Giles to some team for a “proven veteran 2nd baseman” later in the year. I’m beginning to hope the Braves lose 100 this year to Schuerholz will get run out of town. It’s 4-0 in the 5th, I may get my wish.