ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Braves at Mets – 09/02/2003
Look alive, people! The Braves once again allowed Al Leiter to dominate them in a carbon copy of last week’s meeting. Once again, Mike Hampton pitched well enough to win but was let down by his offense and defense and got an undeserved loss. He’s pitched better in his last two starts than in many of his wins.
The Braves got their only run in the first inning on a walk, a blown fielder’s choice, and Chipper’s double to bring home Giles. Then Andruw popped up and Javy did the same, and the Mets had escaped. Vinny doubled and Mike Hessman walked to start the second, but they were stranded — in fact, never got any further. The Braves essentially never threatened again. Hessman doubled with two out in the fourth (he also singled — his first non-extra base hit, I believe) and was the only other Brave to see second base.
And the defense… The Mets somehow scored from second on an infield single in the third. And the insurance run in the seventh came home after two errors, one by Furcal and one by Lopez. Just awful.
Day game tomorrow to finish this awful series. The Marlins lost (and the Phillies won) so the magic number is 12.
In defense of the Braves’ defense, the play in the third was really strange. The ball bounced of Hampton’s glove and way into foul territory between first and home. Hampton and Lopez both chased after it, but that left nobody to cover home plate. Wiggington (at least I think it was Wiggington) ran through a stop sign at third and just barely beat Lopez to the plate. So it wasn’t really sloppy defense, just dumb luck on the Mets’ part.
Well, somebody screwed up. The plate should never be uncovered when there’s a runner on second.
I agree, in principle, Mac. However, as the Braves’ boys said, you don’t really have a set defense for a ball richoting off the pitcher back behind and to the side of the plate. Probably, Lopez should have let Hampton retrieve it, but I can certainly understand why he went after it. If the play ever happens again, they’ll probably have an idea.
I love that Hessman is keeping it rolling. He looks quite good at the plate, and his large frame makes for a nice target at first.
The Braves have seemed to be phoning it in many times over the past couple weeks — reckon it is indeed that case, a team that has things so wrapped up it sometimes just doesn’t play as hard? Or anyone think the team just lucked into a lot of its early success and is coming back to earth at the wrong time?