ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Braves at Athletics – 06/10/2003

You know, these West Coast games are hard enough on my system without the extra innings. Jermaine Dye (gosh, why can’t the Braves develop an outfielder like that?) hit a solo homer off Jung Bong in the twelfth to beat the Braves. It was Bong’s first career loss.

Greg Maddux wasn’t his sharpest, but threw a quality start, seven innings, three runs. It’s a good example of why the concept of a quality start is meaningful. Maddux never led, but he put the Braves in a position to win the game. Some whipping boys from the pen (Holmes, King, Gryboski) threw well and kept the game tight, then tied. Bong allowed only the homer, but it was enough.

Is it better to lose a game outright than to rally to tie only to lose? The Braves were down 3-0, made it 3-2 with a rally in the sixth, and tied it on a solo homer by Robert Fick in the ninth. After that, they looked hopeless for three innings. Marcus Giles doubled in his first three ABs, but the Braves had only four other hits.

Horacio Ramirez pitches tonight against Ted Lilly, and I’ll probably fall asleep again.