ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Rockies at Braves – 05/08/2003

I guess the Braves wanted the Rockies to feel at home; is that a Colorado score or what? The game was 6-0 and 7-1, but after Shane Reynolds left the game holding a 7-2 lead, Kevin Gryboski, Ray King, and Roberto Hernandez managed to combine to give up four runs in the eighth. Bobby brought in Smoltz to retire the last batter of the inning. And then, the Braves put up five runs off of Todd “Macho Man” Jones to give Smoltz a really easy save chance.

Rob Fick hit a grand slam in the first as five of the first six Brave hitters of the game scored. For the game, the 1-4 hitters combined to score nine runs. They might have really scored some runs if they’d gotten any help from the bottom of the order; Castilla and Lopez were both 0-4 while the rest of the starters were 12-20 with three homers.

Reynolds pitched well enough, a quality start; 6 1/3 IP, six hits, a walk, four strikeouts. And Smoltz was perfect and struck out two. In between… Ugh. Everything I’ve been ranting about eventually happening to Gryboski happened. In an inning and a third of work, he walked three, throwing 27 pitches only 11 of which were strikes. The Braves managed to give up four runs in the eighth with only one hit.

The second game is underway, and the Braves lead 1-0 after one on an Andruw single. Andruw now leads the NL in RBI by three.