ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Mets at Braves – 07/18/2003
I’m enjoying the Mets, aren’t you? Gary Sheffield enjoyed them tonight. He’d been slumping, but broke out of that in a big way, going 5-5 with two homers, four runs scored, four RBI. In fact, he was playing so well that Bobby brought in the Useless Darren Bragg to replace Chipper in the late innings instead.
It was a big night for the Braves all around, as you might expect, fourteen hits. They scored four in the first, and were up 8-0 after seven. Javy drove in five runs on two hits. Vinny, who had been red-hot, was 0-4, and Furcal 0-5, but everyone else reached at least twice.
Mike Hampton had a good night as well, with seven shutout innings. He did only have three strikeouts, and I remain convinced he isn’t going to be effective doing that… but he was effective doing that for the Astros and Mets.
Ray King came on in the eighth to do his best imitation of a batting practice machine, allowing all four Mets runs in a third of an inning. He had been pitching well. Gryboski and Boom-Boom finished it out.
The Expos finally beat the Phillies, and the Braves now lead the division by 9 1/2. Tomorrow is a day game, allowing Tim McCarver to talk ad nauseum (really, I figure by the fourth inning I’ll be sick to my stomach, the man’s voice should be used to induce vomiting) about Mets pitcher Tom Glavine.
On ESPN it sounds like Chipper may have hurt his wrist swinging, which would explain why Bragg went in. Chipper struck out and then threw the bat down in a strange way. It looked pretty odd, and I’m not sure whether it was the swing or the throw that did it
I really didn’t think King did that bad. Nothing was hit very hard or in the air. They were grounders up the middle rather than right at people. With a little luck it could have been 1-2-3.
Chip isn’t in the lineup. That’s the bad news, but the good news is Marcus Giles is back.