ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Braves at Pirates – 08/29/2003

I’m disgusted. I hope that the Braves are in “getting ready for postseason” mode already, because they sure are playing like a team on cruise control. They did manage to tie the game in the ninth (Chipper singling in Furcal) only to lose in the bottom of the inning when Will Cunnane — who had been so good — had major loss of control. He almost got out of it, but gave up a bases-loaded single to end it.

Like in many of their losses — and not a few wins — the Braves let way too many scoring opportunities get away from them. Nine men were left on base, and they hit into two double plays, including one to end the ninth. Furcal and Giles sparked the offense with three hits apiece, but while Furcal scored three runs, Giles didn’t score at all. I don’t know who’s slumping worse right now, Andruw or Fick. It may be a tie.

Russ Ortiz, meanwhile, pitched five innings before being chased by a rain delay. He might well have been lifted anyway after giving up five runs on seven hits and five walks, and giving up a three-run home run to Rob Machowiak, the weak-hitting infielder who doesn’t belong in the major leagues. Jason Marquis did have a couple of good relief innings, so that’s something.

Fox game tomorrow, for some reason. Nobody outside Pittsburgh and the Braves’ viewing area is likely to see it because the Yankees and Red Sox are playing… The Phillies finally won and the Expos beat the Marlins.