ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Braves at Padres – 05/17/2003
Let’s see, who hasn’t had a big game lately… Vinny! Castilla hit two homers (in consecutive innings, the eighth and ninth) and the Braves blew another game open late with six in the eighth. Gary Sheffield had a grand slam four batters after Vinny’s two-run shot for four of his five RBI. The Braves had sixteen hits in all. Just another day at the office.
Shane Reynolds was the beneficiary of all this, going seven innings and giving up only two third-inning runs. It was a fine performance in all, five strikeouts, five hits, two walks. It’ll do. Ray King pitched the eighth and Darren Holmes — who returned from the DL in Joey Dawley’s place — the ninth.
Marcus Giles’ extremities came under fire, as he was hit by pitches in the hand and the foot. He seems to be okay. It wouldn’t be surprising if he got the day off tomorrow anyway.
Did anybody see the wire service story on the Expo pitcher who was ejected yesterday for having glue on his finger, apparently to cover a blister? Said that pitchers like Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry were notorious in the 1970s for doctoring the ball. I know Joe Niekro was caught near the end of his career (mid-1980s?) with a foreign object, and I know Don Sutton was reputed to know a lot about doctoring the ball, but I never heard anything about Phil. Anybody else?
Sounds like some writer failed his history exam; he must have meant Joe Niekro. At least he got the right Perry….