ESPN.com – MLB – Recap – Phillies at Braves – 09/08/2003
Seven.
Russ Ortiz started out with his usual first inning performance, in which he makes Tom Glavine look like Mariano Rivera, giving up four runs on two walks, a double, and a homer. And then he loaded the bases on another double and two walks in the second, but got out of it. And from then on in he didn’t allow another hit for four innings, and the Phillies didn’t get a hit off the bullpen until two out in the ninth. Weird, but oddly typical.
The Braves, meanwhile, got two in the first and then were on the binary plan, all ones and zeroes, thus: 0111001. Mark DeRosa got the start at second base (I guess Marcus Giles’ shoulder is still troubling him) and hit a two-run homer. He also walked and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth. Andruw was 0-4 but everyone else got a hit. Fick had two!
The bullpen was King for 1 1/3, Wright for 2/3, and Cunnane to close it. King was really sharp and throwing as hard as he has all year. And Wright had awesome stuff. I was as critical as anyone of the decision to pick him up, but he was throwing in the mid-nineties (by the TV gun, anyway) with breaking pitches in the mid-eighties, and didn’t even seem to be exerting himself much. Cunnane got into a little trouble but got out of it.
Ryan Langerhans runs like one of those old-time baseball players, chugging away. He was thrown out at the plate after pinch-running for Fick in the eighth… The Marlins won to tie the Phillies for the wildcard… If the Phillies don’t win tonight they might as well take the rest of the year off. They have Randy Wolf going against Shane Reynolds.
I’m as big of Russ Ortiz fan as there is I’m sure, so it was an uneasy last few innings as the parade of journeymen relievers tried to hold the lead. I agree with Mac though that King and even Wright looked good out there. I did have a rather strong negative reaction to the 3-1 curveball Cunnane through to walk The Mighty Chase Utley in the ninth. Two run lead in the ninth, 3-1 count to a middle infielder with middling power and you bounce a curveball up there? Yikes, there’s a rally starter. Thank God for Jimmy Rollins showing up to kill the rally.
Russ’s quest for 20 wins will have to go through Florida, as his next two starts will likely be against the Fish. Next up, a Saturday date with Josh Beckett in Miami. Beckett looked great last night, although it was against the Mets.